A 20 N bucket of water is suspended by two strings, each making an angle of 30 degrees with the horizontal. Calculate the tension in each string.

The weight of the bucket of water is $W = 20 \text{ N}$. This force acts vertically downwards.
There are two strings, and each is inclined at an angle of $\theta = 30^\circ$ to the horizontal.
We need to calculate the tension in each string, which we will denote as $T$. Due to symmetry, the tension in both strings will be equal.

Since the bucket is held stationary, it is in vertical equilibrium. This means the sum of the upward vertical forces must balance the downward weight.
For each string, the vertical component of the tension ($T_y$) is given by $T \sin \theta$.
Since there are two strings, the total upward vertical force is $2 T \sin \theta$.

The total upward vertical force must be equal to the downward weight of the bucket:

Substitute the given values:

We know that $\sin(30^\circ) = \frac{1}{2}$ or 0.5.

The tension in each string is $\text{20 N}$.