Final answer:
When two objects of equal mass are suspended and at rest with no other forces acting, the tension in both strings would be equal as they must balance the weight of the objects. This is because each string supports an identical load and both objects are in static equilibrium.
Step-by-step explanation:
If two objects of equal mass are suspended, the tension in the strings is the force that opposes the weight of the objects due to gravity. If both objects are at rest and the masses are identical, the tension in each string must be equal to support the corresponding object. Therefore, the tension in the strings would be equal because each string would have to exert a force equal to the weight of the object to maintain it in static equilibrium, which in simple cases, where we ignore other forces such as air resistance or additional accelerations, is equal to the mass of the object times the acceleration due to gravity (mg). The weight of an object is balanced by the tension in the string holding it, as demonstrated in the provided free-body diagram where the arrows representing tension and weight are of equal length.
In cases where additional forces are acting or if the system is not in static equilibrium, the tensions may differ. For example, if one of the strings is shorter and they are joined at a knot that is in static equilibrium, the tension in the shorter string may be higher as shown in the equilibrium equation for strings of different lengths.
For the multiple-choice question provided, the answer would be '1) The tension in the strings is equal' considering both objects have equal mass and there are no other forces or accelerations in play.