A picture is to be hung from the ceiling by means of two wires. Order the following arrangements of the wires according to the tension in wire B, from least to greatest.
A) I, II, III
B) III, II, I
C) I and II tie, then III
D) II, I, III
E) all tie

Question

A picture is to be hung from the ceiling by means of two wires. Order the following arrangements of the wires according to the tension in wire B, from least to greatest. 
A) I, II, III 
B) III, II, I 
C) I and II tie, then III 
D) II, I, III 
E) all tie

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In this arrangement, wire A is attached directly to the picture and wire B is attached to both sides of the wire A. Therefore, wire A will bear the weight of the picture and wire B will only need to counteract the horizontal component of the tension in wire A, resulting in less tension overall. Among the given arrangements, option II puts wire A at a steeper angle, increasing the horizontal component of the tension and therefore increasing the tension in wire B. Therefore, the correct order is II, I, III, with II having the least tension in wire B and III having the greatest tension in wire B.

A Picture Is to Be Hung from the Ceiling by Means