Fire Officer Strategy and Tactics Practice Test 2026 - Free Fire Officer Exam Practice Questions and Study Guide

Stretching or pulling of a component is described by tension. Tension is the axial internal force that elongates a member when forces act to pull it apart along its length, so the material is stretched. Think of a rope or cable between supports: as a load is applied, the rope transmits that pull through its length, and every part of it is in tension. In structural terms, tension is the mode of loading that causes elongation along the member’s axis. Other structural elements like beams, columns, and walls primarily experience bending or compression rather than stretching in their typical loading scenarios, so the term “tension” is the correct way to describe this stretching action.