Practice Tension in Physics

Use these practice problems to test your method after reviewing the concept explanation and worked examples.

Worksheet PDF Free Answer-key PDF Family

Quick Recap

The pulling force transmitted through a rope, string, or cable when it is pulled taut at both ends.

The 'tightness' you feel in a rope when both ends are being pulled in opposite directions.

Showing a random 20 of 50 problems.

Example 1

medium

1.5 \text{ kg}

mass swings in a horizontal circle on a string

0.5 \text{ m}

long at

4 \text{ m/s}

. Find the string tension (ignore gravity for the horizontal whirl).

Example 2

hard

5 \text{ kg}

mass hangs from a string at rest. A horizontal wind pushes it sideways with

30 \text{ N}

, deflecting the string from vertical. Find the rope tension. Use

g = 9.8 \text{ m/s}^2

Example 3

challenge

50 \text{ kg}

tightrope walker is at the center of a

20 \text{ m}

rope that sags

0.5 \text{ m}

in the middle. Find the tension in the rope. Use

g = 9.8 \text{ m/s}^2

Example 4

easy

2 \text{ kg}

mass is pulled vertically up by a rope with constant velocity (

g = 9.8 \text{ m/s}^2

). Find the tension.

Constant velocity upward — net force is zero

Example 5

easy

If an ideal (massless, inextensible) rope is pulled with

20 \text{ N}

at one end, what is the tension elsewhere along the rope?

Example 6

medium

A rope holds a

4

kg bucket being raised at constant velocity (

g=10

m/s

^2

). Find the tension.

Example 7

medium

Two blocks (

2 \text{ kg}

and

3 \text{ kg}

) on a frictionless surface are connected by a rope. A

20 \text{ N}

force pulls the

3 \text{ kg}

block. Find the tension in the connecting rope.

Example 8

medium

1

kg ball on a string is whirled in a horizontal circle; the string is nearly horizontal and provides

25

N. Treating tension as the centripetal force, find the speed if

r=1

Example 9

medium

A 5 kg mass hangs from a rope. Find the tension in the rope. (Use

g = 9.8

m/s\u00b2)

Mass hanging from rope at rest

Example 10

challenge

For the Atwood machine above (

5

kg,

3

kg,

a=2.5

m/s

^2

g=10

m/s

^2

), find the rope tension.

Example 11

medium

10

kg sign hangs from two ropes at

30^\circ

from horizontal on each side, sharing the load equally (

g=10

m/s

^2

). Find each tension.

Example 12

medium

6 \text{ kg}

block hangs in an elevator descending at

3 \text{ m/s}^2

. Find the tension. Use

g = 9.8 \text{ m/s}^2

Elevator descending with acceleration 3 m/s²

Example 13

medium

A rope can hold at most

80

N. A

6

kg mass hangs from it in an elevator (

g=10

m/s

^2

). What maximum upward acceleration is allowed?

Example 14

hard

An Atwood machine has masses

3 \text{ kg}

and

5 \text{ kg}

on a frictionless ideal pulley. Find the rope tension. Use

g = 9.8 \text{ m/s}^2

Atwood machine: 3 kg and 5 kg, heavier side shown

Example 15

medium

A massless rope hangs over a frictionless pulley with equal masses on both sides. Each mass is

4 \text{ kg}

g = 9.8 \text{ m/s}^2

. What is the rope tension?

Equal masses on frictionless pulley — system at rest

Example 16

easy

4

kg mass hangs at rest from a single rope (

g=10

m/s

^2

). What is the tension?

4 kg mass hanging at rest, g

Example 17

hard

0.4 \text{ kg}

ball whirls in a vertical circle on a string of

0.6 \text{ m}

5 \text{ m/s}

. Find the tension at the lowest point. Use

g = 9.8 \text{ m/s}^2

Example 18

easy

A massless rope connects two blocks. The tension at one end is

12

N. What is the tension at the other end?

Example 19

hard

0.4 \text{ kg}

ball whirls in a vertical circle on a string of

0.6 \text{ m}

5 \text{ m/s}

. Find the tension at the top. Use

g = 9.8 \text{ m/s}^2

Example 20

medium

2

kg mass hangs from a rope in an elevator accelerating upward at

3

m/s

^2

(

g=10

m/s

^2

). Find the tension.

Elevator accelerating upward at 3 m/s²

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Related Concepts

Force Pulley Systems Equilibrium