Force

Force

This page contains discussion of force issues in tensegrities.

Order of magnitude

Tensegrity, like any geometrical concept, is an abstract idea that describes real world forms at any order of magnitude, from the cosmic down to the nano-scale. At different orders of magnitude, however, different forces come into play.

Gravity, for example, is not a significant force at work in Snelson's big structures. High tensional force would be inappropriate for Hart's sodastraw tensegrities. Pars reports, "each tendon pulls with a force of appr. 50 N at each end of a strut." as opposed to gravity, that pulls with a force of appr. 0.1 N at the same strut end.