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It's all about compression and tension. Compression is the force pushing in on an object. If you sit in a chair your weight is a compressive force on the chair. Tension is the force pulling on an object. If you hang from a rope your weight puts the rope in tension.

Stone is very strong under compression but can break easily under tension. An arch bridge only has compression forces within it so stone is a good material for an arch bridge.

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15y ago

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