Forces on each end of a breaking rope

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the forces acting on each end of a rope when it breaks, particularly in the context of a rope fixed to a wall. Participants explore the implications of the rope's elasticity and how the point of failure affects the forces measured at both ends.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the forces at play when a rope breaks, suggesting that the point of failure (near the wall or the free end) may influence the resultant forces measured.
  • A first-year student proposes that equilibrium forces would still exist, assuming the wall can withstand forces greater than the breaking point of the rope, which they describe as brittle.
  • Another participant introduces the idea that the elastic nature of the rope allows it to store energy, and upon breaking, this energy release might differ based on the length of rope involved in the tension.
  • Another contribution suggests that if the tensile force exceeds the internal balancing forces of the rope, it will deform and eventually break, although the participant expresses uncertainty about this claim.
  • A participant with industry experience asserts that the load remains consistent at both ends of the rope, attributing any discrepancies to external factors like friction or the weight of the rope itself.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on how the forces behave when the rope breaks, with no consensus reached on the specific mechanics involved or the impact of the rope's elasticity and breaking point.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about the rope's material properties and the conditions under which it breaks are not fully explored. The discussion does not resolve the complexities of energy release or the exact nature of forces at the moment of breaking.

J77
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Long time no post but the following came up in a recent coffee time discussion:

If you pull on a rope which is fixed to, say, a wall, and the rope breaks, what are the forces on each end of the rope.

(We can assume the rope has some elasticity.)

Putting it in other words, in equilibrium the inward tension forces on the rope would balance and these in turn would balance the pulling force and the reaction force in the wall. However, when the rope snaps/breaks does one measure more of the (resultant) equilibrium force in the free end (or in the wall) depending on where the rope breaks; ie. if it breaks nearer the wall or the free end...?

I've even searched academic literature but can find no answer...
 
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Hi, I'm just a first year student but I think I have an input.
The forces would still be in equilibrium as I assume that the wall could match a reaction force much greater than the force it takes for the rope to snap as I believe rope is a brittle material. Sorry if I'm completely wrong, just giving my two cents.
 
I was thinking something along the lines of: when the (elastic) rope is tensioned it stores energy in a spring-like way; when the rope snaps the energy is released; however, the rope does not snap in the middle and therefore you have release of energy in 2 effective different lengths of rope (springs) -- how does this effect the forces...?
 
How about this? since the rope is assumed to have certain elasticity therefore the internal forces will balance each other for a certain degree but if this ratio is disrupted i.e. a greater amount of tensile force is applied which could not be overcome by internal balancing of forces then the rope undergoes deformation as a result it breaks. Sorry if I am wrong:)
 
After many years in the lifting & rigging industry, having installed load cells thousands of times to measure the load, I can affirm that it works just like you were taught in your Statics class. Load is the same at both ends. Any difference is caused by friction in pullies or the weight of the rope.
 

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