2.7 Tension & Pulley Systems

Tension

Tension is the force transmitted through a string, rope, cable, or any other object that can be pulled tight. When you pull on a rope, the rope exerts a force back, and this force is called tension. Tension is represented with either the variable ${F_T}$ or ${T}$.

For AP Physics 1, tension usually occurs in ideal strings. Ideal strings have no mass and cannot stretch. In an ideal string, the tension is the same throughout the whole string. If a string has mass or can stretch, then tension will be different throughout the string. However, AP Physics 1 usually doesn’t deal with non-ideal strings.