Tension - What is It?

You may have already used the concept of tension previously. Here we will explain what tension is.

Question

Two student teams are in a "tug-of-war" - each team pulling on one end of a rope with a 1300-N force. What is the tension in the rope between the teams?

Consider the following answers.

1. 2600 N; because there are two forces of 1300 N each acting on the rope and 1300 N + 1300 N = 2600 N.
2. 0 N; because there are two equal and opposite forces of 1300 N each acting on the rope and 1300 N - 1300 N = 0 N.
3. 1300 N; because the tension is equal to the magnitude of just one of the two forces.