If two slings share a load and you increase the angle, the load in each sling does what?

• A. Decreases
• B. Stays the same
• C. Increases
• D. Varies with angle

Answer: (C)

When two slings share a load, the tension each sling must carry depends on the angle the slings make with the vertical. To hold the same load, the vertical components of both sling tensions must add up to the load. If the angle increases (the slings spread further apart), the vertical component of each sling’s tension becomes smaller, so to maintain the same total vertical support, each sling must pull harder along its length. In a symmetric setup, the tension in each sling is T = W / (2 cos theta). As theta increases, cos theta decreases, so T increases. So the load in each sling increases with a larger angle.