Anything can be a source of tension. As Kurt Vonnegut says, "Make sure your character wants something -- even if it's just a glass of water."
So long as your characters want something and are prevented from attaining their goals, there will be tension.
To build tension
To build tension
By creating tension in a story, the author places an emotional interest on the reader. The reader may now wish to view how the characters in the story react to this tension. If the tension in the story is created by one of the major characters, the reader will want to know why this is happening.
In this part of the story, Doyle's specific purpose may be to create tension and suspense, to highlight a key trait or flaw of a character, or to advance the plot by introducing a significant event or revelation.
Surface Tension - short story - was created in 1952.
Authors use tension in a story to build up to the climax and to make the audience more attentive towards to story.
To build tension
The way to create tension in a story is to deny the hero his or her goals and dreams. The more you throw in the way of those goals, the more tension you'll have.
The climax is the point of maximum tension. You simply decide if there is any point with more tension after that scene, or if the tension slacks off and leads to the story's end.
Elements such as foreshadowing, pacing, conflict, and cliffhangers contribute to the building of tension and suspense in this story.
The climax of a story is the moment of greatest emotional tension where the conflict reaches its peak and the outcome is decided.
The plot is simply what happens in the story. There is no separate purpose to it. It's the story itself.