Question:
Under what conditions would a rope be most likely to break?
a. 20 men of equal strength with 10 pulling on each end.
b. 10 of the same men pulling on one end and the other end being fastened to a tree.
c. It makes no difference.
Under what conditions would a rope be most likely to break?
a. 20 men of equal strength with 10 pulling on each end.
b. 10 of the same men pulling on one end and the other end being fastened to a tree.
c. It makes no difference.
The answer is c. If 20 men pull on the rope [10 on each end], the stress on the rope will be no greater than if 10 pulled from one end and the other was tied to a tree. The tension on a rope is no greater than the pull at one of its ends.