Would appreciate H.W. help... If a 161 N bag of nails hangs motionless from a single vertical strand of rope,?

Question

how much tension is exerted in the strand (answer in N).

How much tension if the bag was supported by 8 vertical strands (how much tension would be exerted in each strand?) Answer in N.

Been working on this & would like to compare to the correct work & answer.

Really appreciate your help.

Answer 1

"Imagine cutting the rope and replacing it with the force required for balance."
for 1 strand |F| = |W|

Assuming each strand of 8 supports an equal amount of weight,
8*|F| = |W|,
|F| = |W|/8

Answer 2

For homework purposes, probably 161N and 20.1N (161N/8). For real-world purposes, 161N+weight of rope and 20.1N + weight of one strand. If the weight of the rope is given, that is meant to be included. If not, then not.