# Compacting fiber question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compacting-fiber-question/739224>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 2, 2015, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compacting-fiber-question/739224 "2015-12-02T17:10:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compacting-fiber-question/739224/1 "2015-12-02T17:10:25Z")

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For example if I were to take a 3ft long section of linen string, on each end of the string I put it into some kind of chuck like device or mabe a cone where the ends were compacted as much as possible, now I pull these two cones apart as far as I possible can stretch the string without it breaking. How much could I expect the center of that string to be compacted in relation to the ends of the string that were physically compressed?

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**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compacting-fiber-question/739224/2 "2015-12-03T18:51:59Z")

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My guess is that by compressing the string maximally you would actually _weaken_ it at that spot, due to individual fibers breaking. So it would snap at one attachment point, and the center of the string would not be affected much.