Final answer:
The tension in the rope is 500 N, equal to the pulling force exerted by the other team, assuming the rope is massless and there is enough friction to prevent slipping at the tree end.
Step-by-step explanation:
If one team in a tug of war ties its end of the rope to a tree, and the other team pulls with a 500 N force, the tension in the rope is also 500 N. This is because tension is a pulling force transmitted by a rope, and in the case of tug of war, where one end is tied to a tree and the other end is pulled by a team with a force of 500 N, the rope adopts a state of static equilibrium. In such a scenario, the tension throughout the entire rope is equal to the pulling force as long as the rope is massless and the friction between the rope and the tree is sufficient to prevent slipping.