Would a tug of war be possible over 42 km between France and England?

This transnational tug of war might be possible, depending on if the rope goes through the Channel Tunnel or you don’t mind it going in the water, say our readers

15 February 2023

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I am fascinated by the idea of a tug of war between Dover, UK, and Calais, France, with thousands of people on each side, 42 kilometres apart. Could a rope be made long, light and strong enough for this?

Martin Gellender
Brisbane, Australia

The maximum distance that can be spanned by a rope or cable is limited by it sagging under its own weight.

Near the centre of the span, the cable will only be slightly curved and tensile force within the cable will be nearly constant. But away from the centre, the upwards slope of the cable becomes steeper…