Cable tension force from applied force

[J3Di]

Hi, I am a bit confused about cables, because of multiple people telling me different things. The only times we've discussed cables/springs is when a force is applied parallel to the length of the cable.

So say you had a cable tied to 2 fixed ends ------------------ , (great diagram eh) and a force is applied upwards to the centre of the cable(it has some elasticity, as cables do). Is the tension in the cable = the force applied?

Thanks

 

[tiny-tim]

Hi J3Di! Welcome to PF!

So say you had a cable tied to 2 fixed ends ------------------ , (great diagram eh) and a force is applied upwards to the centre of the cable(it has some elasticity, as cables do). Is the tension in the cable = the force applied?

No.

There are three forces acting on the centre of the cable: applied force upward, and two equal tension forces to left and right and slightly downward.

The three forces have to add to a net force of zero. ​

 

[J3Di]

Thanks for the welcome, and the answer

So suppose this cable breaks when it reaches a certain tension force. This tension force will be reached by applying force the centre of the cable like before. (I get that the vertical components of the tension forces would add to equal the applied force.)

Would the cable break when each of the 2 tension vectors were equal to the given breaking point, or when their magnitudes totalled the given breaking point?

 

[tiny-tim]

Would the cable break when each of the 2 tension vectors were equal to the given breaking point, or when their magnitudes totalled the given breaking point?

each

(in practice of course, the cable would probably have a weak point on one side or the other, and so that side would break first! )

 

[Nickie]

for reaching out! I can understand your confusion about cable tension and how it relates to applied force. Let me try to explain it in a clear way for you.

First, it's important to understand that cables are designed to withstand tension forces, which are forces that pull on the cable. When a force is applied to a cable, it creates tension in the cable. This tension force is evenly distributed throughout the entire length of the cable.

In your scenario, where a force is applied upwards to the center of the cable, the tension force in the cable will indeed be equal to the force applied. This is because the force is being applied parallel to the length of the cable, and therefore, all of the force is being transferred to the cable and creating tension.

However, if the force was applied at an angle to the cable, only a component of the force would be transferred to the cable and create tension. In this case, the tension force would be less than the applied force.

It's also important to note that the elasticity of the cable will play a role in the amount of tension force created. As the cable stretches, the tension force will increase. But once the cable reaches its maximum stretch, the tension force will remain constant even if the applied force continues to increase.

I hope this explanation helps clear up any confusion you may have had about cable tension and applied force. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Keep exploring and learning!