A copper wire is found to break when subjected to minimum tension of 36. N. If the wire diameter were half as great, we would expect the wire to break when subjected to a minimum tension of
A) 18 N
B) 26. N
C) 51. N
D) 9.0 N
E) 36. N

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The breaking strength of a wire is proportional to its cross-sectional area. When the diameter is halved, the area (πr^2) becomes one-fourth, so the tension needed to break the wire would be one-fourth of the original, which is 9 N.

A Copper Wire Is Found to Break When Subjected to Minimum