Wire rope is defined as which of the following?

• A. A chain of metal links
• B. A single strand of metal wire
• C. Several strands twisted into a helix forming a rope
• D. A woven metal sheet

Answer: (C)

Wire rope is formed by twisting several strands of wires into a helix around a core, creating a flexible, load-bearing bundle. This helical arrangement distributes the load across many wires and allows the rope to bend around pulleys and drums without concentrating stress in a single wire. The term rope implies multiple strands, which is why this structure is the correct definition. The other descriptions describe different forms: a chain is made of linked blocks, not twisted wires; a single strand is just one wire and lacks the redundancy and flexibility of rope; a woven metal sheet is sheet metal, not a rope.