Quick question about an object hanging from a string?

[sameeralord]

Hello everyone,

If an object is hanging from a string in the wall. It is stationary so this means tension of the string and weight force of the object must be equal. Is this tension coming from the elasticity of the string. So if the string loses its elasticty by a heavy force, does that mean there would no be a tension foce and the object would keep going down and fall to the ground. When the spring is elastic it stores its energy as elastic potential energy, when it becomes plastic like, is this energy converted to change the structure of the object.

 

[JDługosz]

Right, if you hang too much weight from the string, the force goes into breaking bonds in the fibers, or overcoming the friction between the individual fibers that are twisted together and allowing them to slip.

An ideal string, within its rated load, would undergo reversible changes such as bending (not dislocating) atomic bonds. The reversibility is what gives it "potential energy".

--John

 

[rcgldr]

The tension could also result in permanent deformation, but there will still be a tension.