A perpendicular force is applied at the middle of a flexible connector that makes a small angle with the horizontal. What happens to the tension as that angle approaches zero?

1. The tension equals the applied perpendicular force divided by twice the sine of the angle. 2. As the angle shrinks, its sine shrinks with it. 3. Dividing by a smaller and smaller number makes the tension very large. 4. So a modest sideways push at the middle of a chain can develop a huge tension. 5. That is how a car can be hauled out of mud with a chain and no tow truck. 6. An exactly horizontal connector would need infinite tension, which is why every real cable sags. _Source: OpenStax College Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 4 "Dynamics: Force and Newton's Laws of Motion", section 4.5 Normal, Tension, and Other Examples of Forces_