Name: tension in ropes and strings
Uploaded: 2025-05-22T09:06:17.000Z
Duration: 1 min 10 s
Channel: JoVE

La tensión se describe como la fuerza asociada con una cuerda, cuerda o cable tensado. Es una fuerza de tracción, ya que solo puede tirar de un objeto y no puede empujar uno.
Cuando se tensa una cuerda, la fuerza de tensión se transfiere a través de la cuerda al objeto adherido. Aquí, la fuerza de tensión equilibra el peso del objeto.
Considere una caja de masa 'm' tirada por una cuerda en un ángulo theta sobre una superficie lisa con aceleración 'a'.
En esta situación, las fuerzas sobre la caja son la atracción gravitacional que actúa hacia abajo, la fuerza normal que actúa hacia arriba y la fuerza de tensión a lo largo de la cuerda tirada.
La componente x de la tensión es la única fuerza que actúa en la dirección horizontal.
En la dirección vertical, la componente y de la tensión actúa hacia arriba junto con la fuerza normal, y la atracción gravitacional actúa hacia abajo.
La aplicación de la segunda ley de Newton al sistema da la fuerza de tensión ejercida por la cuerda y la fuerza normal ejercida por la superficie sobre la caja.

<ol>
	<li>OpenStax. (2019). Física Universitaria Vol. 1. [Versión web]. Obtenido de <a href="https://openstax.org/books/college-physics-2e/pages/4-5-normal-tension-and-other-examples-of-forces">https://openstax.org/books/college-physics-2e/pages/4-5-normal-tension-and-other-examples-of-forces</a></li>
</ol>

tensión

La tensión es una fuerza a lo largo de un medio, en particular, una fuerza llevada por un medio flexible, como una cuerda o un cable. La palabra "tensión" proviene del latín, que significa "estirar". No es una coincidencia que los cordones flexibles que llevan fuerzas musculares a otras partes del cuerpo se llamen tendones. Cualquier conector flexible, como una cuerda, soga, cadena, alambre o cable, solo puede ejercer una fuerza en paralelo a su longitud; por lo tanto, una fuerza llevada por un conector flexible es una tensión con una dirección paralela al conector. Es importante entender que la tensión es una fuerza de tracción en un conector. Considera el dicho "no puedes empujar una cuerda"; la fuerza de tensión solo tira hacia afuera a lo largo de los dos extremos de una cuerda. Los conectores flexibles se utilizan a menudo para transmitir fuerzas alrededor de las esquinas, como en un sistema de tracción en un hospital, una articulación de un dedo o un cable de freno de bicicleta. Si no hay fricción, la tensión se transmite sin disminuir. Solo su dirección cambia, y siempre es paralela al conector flexible. Por ejemplo, los tendones en el dedo llevan fuerza desde los músculos a otras partes del dedo, generalmente cambiando la dirección de la fuerza pero no su magnitud. Los tendones son relativamente libres de fricción. De manera similar, un cable de freno en una bicicleta lleva la tensión desde el manillar hasta el mecanismo de freno. Una vez más, se cambia la dirección de la fuerza de tensión, pero no su magnitud.

Tensión

La tensión es una fuerza a lo largo de la longitud de un medio, en particular, una fuerza transportada por un medio flexible, como una cuerda o un cable. La palabra "tensión"...

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Education

Educación

JoVE Core

Mechanical Engineering

Ingeniería Mecánica

Unit 1

Unidad 1

Physics Basics

Conceptos básicos de física

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

TÉRMINOS Y CONCEPTOS CLAVE

Tension

tension in ropes and strings

Tension is the pulling force carried by a rope, string, or cable when it is stretched by a load. In physics, this force acts along the length of the object and pulls away from the objects at each end.

A stretched rope can support a hanging mass because the tension in the rope balances the weight of the load. The same idea appears in many everyday situations, such as a cable holding a sign or a string lifting an object.

Understanding tension helps students connect force diagrams to real motion. It also shows how forces are transmitted through flexible materials in simple systems.

Tension in Ropes and Strings

introduction to scalers

Scalar Quantities in Physics

Scalar quantities in physics have size only. They do not include direction. This makes them different from vector quantities. Common scalar examples include mass, temperature, time, and energy. Each one can be described with a number and a unit. Because direction is not part of the value, scalars are often easier to compare and measure.

vector or cross product

Cross Product of Two Vectors

The cross product of two vectors gives a new vector that is related to both original vectors. It is also called the vector product. In many physics problems, this operation helps describe quantities that depend on direction as well as size. The result of a cross product has a direction set by the two input vectors. It is not the same as ordinary multiplication. The transcript focuses on the vector or cross product as a core vector operation students use when working with vectors in science.

introduction to vectors

Vectors in Motion and Direction

Vectors describe quantities that have both size and direction. They are used in physics to show how motion, force, and other quantities act in space. A vector can be represented with an arrow. The length of the arrow shows the size, and the arrowhead shows the direction. This makes vectors useful for comparing how one quantity points relative to another. Scalars are different because they have size only and no direction. Understanding the difference between vectors and scalars is an important...

units and standards of measurement

Measurement Units, Standards, and SI Basics

Measurement units, standards, and SI basics help scientists describe physical quantities clearly. A unit gives a number meaning, while a standard provides a fixed reference for that measurement. Together, they make results easier to compare and understand. The International System of Units, or SI, is the most common measurement system in science. It uses agreed-upon base units for common quantities. These standards reduce confusion when measurements are shared across labs, classrooms, and...

accuracy and precision

Measurement Errors, Accuracy, and Precision

Measurement errors can affect how close a result is to the true value and how consistent repeated results are. Accuracy describes how close a measurement is to the accepted or true value. Precision describes how close repeated measurements are to one another. A result can be accurate, precise, both, or neither. A set of measurements may cluster tightly together and still be far from the true value. Another set may include values spread out from one another, even if one of them is close to the...

rules of significant figures

Counting Significant Figures in Measurements

Significant figures help students record measurements with the correct level of precision. They show which digits in a number are meaningful and which only help place the decimal point. In science class, this idea matters when writing and comparing measured values. The rules for significant figures explain how to count these digits in different numbers. Some digits are always counted, while others depend on where they appear in the number. Learning the rules makes it easier to report answers...

random and systematic errors

Measuring Error in Scientific Data

Random and systematic errors affect scientific measurements. Random errors cause values to spread around the true value. They make repeated measurements less consistent. Systematic errors shift measurements in the same direction each time. Understanding both kinds of error helps students judge data quality. Random error can come from small changes during measurement. Systematic error can come from a biased tool or method. Scientists look for these patterns so they can improve results and...

position and displacement

Tracking Motion with Position and Displacement

Position and displacement are key ideas in straight-line motion. Position tells where an object is located compared with a chosen starting point, called the origin. Displacement describes how far and in what direction the object has moved from its starting position. These ideas help describe motion clearly. Position can change as an object moves. Displacement focuses on the change in position, not just the path taken. That makes it useful for comparing motion in a simple and precise way.

position and displacement vectors

Using Vectors to Describe Motion

Position and displacement vectors describe motion in physics. A position vector shows where an object is located relative to a chosen origin. A displacement vector shows how far and in what direction the object moves from one point to another. These vectors are useful because they give a clear way to track movement in space. The video connects position and displacement to the idea of a reference point and shows how direction matters as much as distance. That makes them important for describing...

mass and weight

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Mass and weight are related, but they are not the same. Mass is the amount of matter in an object. Weight is the force of gravity acting on that object. This difference matters because mass stays the same even when gravity changes. Weight can change if the gravitational pull changes. A person or object therefore has the same mass, but not always the same weight. The terms are often used in everyday speech as if they mean the same thing. In physics, they describe two different ideas.

acceleration due to gravity on earth

Free-Fall Acceleration on Earth

Free-fall acceleration on Earth describes how fast an object speeds up when gravity is the only force acting on it. Near Earth’s surface, this acceleration is nearly constant for many everyday situations. Gravity pulls objects toward Earth and gives them downward acceleration. This motion is often written as g, and it helps explain why falling objects gain speed as they move downward. The value of g is commonly used in physics to predict the motion of objects dropped or released near the...

tension

Tension is the pulling force carried by a rope, string, or cable when it is stretched by a load. In physics, this force acts along the length of the object and pulls away from the objects at each end. A stretched rope can support a hanging mass because the tension in the rope balances the weight of the load. The same idea appears in many everyday situations, such as a cable holding a sign or a string lifting an object. Understanding tension helps students connect force diagrams to real motion.

gravitational force

How Gravity Acts Between Objects

Gravity is a force that pulls objects toward one another. On Earth, this force gives objects weight and keeps people, water, and other materials from drifting away. It also helps explain why planets and moons stay in motion around larger bodies. The strength of gravitational force depends on the masses of the objects involved. Larger masses create a stronger pull, while smaller masses create a weaker one. The distance between objects also matters, because gravity becomes weaker as objects move...

key terms and concepts

Learn how tension acts in ropes, strings, and cables as a pulling force that supports loads and balances weight in everyday physics examples.

Tension in Ropes and Strings | JoVE K12

JoVE Core Mechanical Engineering offers concise, easy-to-understand animated videos covering key topics such as equilibrium, forces, truss analysis, and structural mechanics. Explore their real-world applications, and witness these concepts in action through scientist-led experiments.

mechanical engineering

Tension in Ropes and Strings

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