Question

How to calculate resultant force magnitude and direction?

Answer 1

Resolve all the forces into their vertical and horizontal compornants

Add all the vertical compornant →y

Add all horizontal compornants → x

Use the pythagoras theorem to find the resultant since its the hypotunuse

R = (y^2+x^2)^(1/2)

To find the direction have to use trigonometry

If ‘a’ is the angle between resultant and the horizontal

Tan a = y/x

thanks

Answer 2

Resultant force- When more than one forces act on the object, the force which produces equal acceleration as all those forces would do together is called as resultant force. It is useful as it allows us to think about several forces as if they were a single force. R=ma

Magnitude and direction – In physics velocity is expressed as a vector with both magnitude and a direction. For instance, 5m/s Eastward is a velocity because it tells us the magnitude of the movement, 5 meters per second, as well as the direction which is eastwards.