A uniform heavy rod hangs vertically from a rigid support. Does it experience the same tensile stres

Question

A uniform heavy rod hangs vertically from a rigid support. Does it experience the same tensile stress everywhere along its length?

Professor PC Thomas Classes · Answer

The tension at any point in the hanging rod is equal to the weight of the segment of the rod below that point. Thus, tension (and stress) is zero at the lowest free end and maximum at the highest point (rigid support).