Final answer:
Tension is the force along the length of a flexible connector, such as a string, rope, chain, or cable. It is a pull that acts parallel to the connector and in opposite directions at the two ends of the connector. In physics, tension is often used to describe the force exerted by a flexible connector when a perpendicular force is applied.
Step-by-step explanation:
Tension is the force along the length of a flexible connector, such as a string, rope, chain, or cable. It is a pull that acts parallel to the connector and in opposite directions at the two ends of the connector. In physics, tension is often used to describe the force exerted by a flexible connector when a perpendicular force is applied.
For example, consider a person holding a mass on a rope. The tension in the rope is the force exerted by the rope to support the weight of the mass. The tension would be larger if the rope is more horizontal and would be equal on both ends if the angles on either side are the same.
Another example is the tension in wires suspending an object, like a traffic light. When analyzing the tension in each wire, we can neglect the masses of the wires. The tension in each wire can be found by considering the equilibrium of forces acting on the object.