6. When you play tug-of-war, you both pull on the rope with the same force (if I pull with 10N, you pull with 10N). How can anyone win a game of tug-of-war if this is true?

Question

6.	When you play tug-of-war, you both pull on the rope with the same force (if I pull with 10N, you pull with 10N). How can anyone win a game of tug-of-war if this is true?

kainui · Answer

A force is mass times acceleration, so you can still be pulling with the same force on the same rope, but after a certain force the smaller mass person will move because they'll surpass the amount of force required to hold them there due to static friction.

amistre64 · Answer

one person lets go of their end of the rope ;)