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
A 1.5 kg1.5 \text{ kg} mass swings in a horizontal circle on a string 0.5 m0.5 \text{ m} long at 4 m/s4 \text{ m/s}. Find the string tension (ignore gravity for the horizontal whirl).

Example 2

hard
A 5 kg5 \text{ kg} mass hangs from a string at rest. A horizontal wind pushes it sideways with 30 N30 \text{ N}, deflecting the string from vertical. Find the rope tension. Use g=9.8 m/s2g = 9.8 \text{ m/s}^2.

Example 3

challenge
A 50 kg50 \text{ kg} tightrope walker is at the center of a 20 m20 \text{ m} rope that sags 0.5 m0.5 \text{ m} in the middle. Find the tension in the rope. Use g=9.8 m/s2g = 9.8 \text{ m/s}^2.

Example 4

easy
A 2 kg2 \text{ kg} mass is pulled vertically up by a rope with constant velocity (g=9.8 m/s2g = 9.8 \text{ m/s}^2). Find the tension.

Example 5

easy
If an ideal (massless, inextensible) rope is pulled with 20 N20 \text{ N} at one end, what is the tension elsewhere along the rope?

Example 6

medium
A rope holds a 44 kg bucket being raised at constant velocity (g=10g=10 m/s2^2). Find the tension.

Example 7

medium
Two blocks (2 kg2 \text{ kg} and 3 kg3 \text{ kg}) on a frictionless surface are connected by a rope. A 20 N20 \text{ N} force pulls the 3 kg3 \text{ kg} block. Find the tension in the connecting rope.

Example 8

medium
A 11 kg ball on a string is whirled in a horizontal circle; the string is nearly horizontal and provides 2525 N. Treating tension as the centripetal force, find the speed if r=1r=1 m.

Example 9

medium
A 5 kg mass hangs from a rope. Find the tension in the rope. (Use g=9.8g = 9.8 m/s\u00b2)

Example 10

challenge
For the Atwood machine above (55 kg, 33 kg, a=2.5a=2.5 m/s2^2, g=10g=10 m/s2^2), find the rope tension.

Example 11

medium
A 1010 kg sign hangs from two ropes at 30∘30^\circ from horizontal on each side, sharing the load equally (g=10g=10 m/s2^2). Find each tension.

Example 12

medium
A 6 kg6 \text{ kg} block hangs in an elevator descending at 3 m/s23 \text{ m/s}^2. Find the tension. Use g=9.8 m/s2g = 9.8 \text{ m/s}^2.

Example 13

medium
A rope can hold at most 8080 N. A 66 kg mass hangs from it in an elevator (g=10g=10 m/s2^2). What maximum upward acceleration is allowed?

Example 14

hard
An Atwood machine has masses 3 kg3 \text{ kg} and 5 kg5 \text{ kg} on a frictionless ideal pulley. Find the rope tension. Use g=9.8 m/s2g = 9.8 \text{ m/s}^2.

Example 15

medium
A massless rope hangs over a frictionless pulley with equal masses on both sides. Each mass is 4 kg4 \text{ kg}, g=9.8 m/s2g = 9.8 \text{ m/s}^2. What is the rope tension?

Example 16

easy
A 44 kg mass hangs at rest from a single rope (g=10g=10 m/s2^2). What is the tension?

Example 17

hard
A 0.4 kg0.4 \text{ kg} ball whirls in a vertical circle on a string of 0.6 m0.6 \text{ m} at 5 m/s5 \text{ m/s}. Find the tension at the lowest point. Use g=9.8 m/s2g = 9.8 \text{ m/s}^2.

Example 18

easy
A massless rope connects two blocks. The tension at one end is 1212 N. What is the tension at the other end?

Example 19

hard
A 0.4 kg0.4 \text{ kg} ball whirls in a vertical circle on a string of 0.6 m0.6 \text{ m} at 5 m/s5 \text{ m/s}. Find the tension at the top. Use g=9.8 m/s2g = 9.8 \text{ m/s}^2.

Example 20

medium
A 22 kg mass hangs from a rope in an elevator accelerating upward at 33 m/s2^2 (g=10g=10 m/s2^2). Find the tension.
← Back to Tension Worked Examples