An object of mass m is suspended by two coplanar wires,as shown below.The tension in each wire has a magnitude given by
A) $\frac { \sqrt { 2 } } { 2 } m g$ .
B) $\frac { \sqrt { 3 } } { 2 } m g$ .
C) $\frac { 1 } { 2 } m g$ .
D)mg.
E) $\sqrt { 2 } m g$ .

Question

An object of mass m is suspended by two coplanar wires,as shown below.The tension in each wire has a magnitude given by 
A) $\frac { \sqrt { 2 } } { 2 } m g$ . 
B) $\frac { \sqrt { 3 } } { 2 } m g$ . 
C) $\frac { 1 } { 2 } m g$ . 
D)mg. 
E) $\sqrt { 2 } m g$ .

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When an object is suspended by two coplanar wires, the tension in each wire provides a component of the weight of the object in the perpendicular direction to the wire. As a result, the object experiences a net upward force equal to the difference between the tensions in the two wires. This net force must be equal to the weight of the object, which is mg. Therefore, the tension in each wire is mg/2. None of the answer choices match this value, but choice D, mg, is the closest.

An Object of Mass M Is Suspended by Two Coplanar 22mg\frac { \sqrt { 2 } } { 2 } m g22​​mg

An Object of Mass M Is Suspended by Two Coplanar $\frac { \sqrt { 2 } } { 2 } m g$