Which statement about sling configurations is true?

• A. In a choker configuration, capacity decreases
• B. In a choker configuration, capacity increases
• C. In a choker configuration, capacity remains the same
• D. Sling capacity is unrelated to configuration

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is how the angle of the sling legs affects capacity. When a sling is choked around the load, the sling legs come together at the load, reducing the angle between each leg and the vertical. As this angle gets smaller, each leg must carry more of the load, so the overall tension in the sling increases and the effective lifting capacity decreases. In other words, a choke configuration tightens the sling around the load and lowers how much weight it can safely lift. If you kept the legs more open or used a basket/straight pull, the load is distributed with less tension per leg, giving higher capacity. So, the true statement is that a choker configuration decreases capacity.