What is tension in physics terms?

Question

If you had to explan it to someone who is new to th idea and you were writing an introductory physics text what wouldyou say?

Answer 1

Tension is the feeling that may come over you if you are trying to cram for your physics exam, but are sorely unprepared.

Seriously tho ... it is the force that is trying to pull an object (like a string) apart.  So if you cut it, it wants to pull apart -- if you hold onto it, you have to apply force on both ends to keep them from moving.  That force is tension.

So if you hang a weight from a string, the string has the tension equal to the weight's force.  

Answer 2

In simple physics, a force is either a push or a pull. Pulling causes tension on a material which tends to lengthen it. Pushing causes compression to a material which tends to shorten it.