Structures and forces
A load is the force applied to a structure; compression, tension and shear are what that load sets up inside the material.
A worked example
A platform holding 4 crates of 250 N each carries 1 000 N, and a safety factor of 3 means it must be built to take 3 000 N.
The mistake people actually make
Compression and tension act in the same beam at the same time, on opposite faces, so check which face the question means. Widening the base helps a structure resist tipping but does nothing for the strength of its members.