🔍 Key Concepts

• Catenary shape of a hanging or slack line or chain • How a tow line hangs between tug and tow when there is some slack and weight • Difference between line’s shape vs its tension, length, and elasticity

💭 Think About

• Visualize a heavy tow line between a tug and a barge at sea—what does its shape look like when it is not bar-tight? • Which option describes a geometric/profile feature of the tow line, and which options describe mechanical properties like force or material behavior? • Think of how anchor chains are described on the bottom—when mariners talk about the catenary of an anchor cable, what exactly are they referring to?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify which choice refers to the configuration/curve of the line rather than a force or material property • Make sure you distinguish between tension/strain and the physical curve formed by weight and gravity • Eliminate any options that talk about properties that could exist even if a line were pulled perfectly straight with no sag at all