Tension (physics)
![This end of the rope is pulling the tug of war team to the right. Each segment of the rope is pulled on by the two neighboring segments with a force due to tension. Tension can change along the length of a rope, as it does along the grip of each of the tug of war team members.](/Images/godic/202502/15/Tug_Of_War_Tension1254.png")
![](/Images/godic/202502/15/Tension_figure.svg1254.png")
In physics, tension describes the pulling force exerted by each end of a string, cable, chain, or similar one-dimensional continuous object, or by each end of a rod, truss member, or similar three-dimensional object. Tension is the opposite of compression.