What is Tension?
- When a force is acting upon on a rope (or any object) from both sides, the rope experiences tension.
- Tension does not have a specific direction and is equal all throughout the rope.
- For example, the image below shows a ceiling lamp. The cord is pulled down by the weight of the lamp and experiences tension and pulls down on the ceiling and pulls the lamp up.
- This phenomenon can be utilized in pulleys, which are the mechanisms that for example, make elevators work.
