Post-Laboratory Discussion
Force Vectors
General Physics Laboratory
A.Y. 2023 - 2024
Force Vectors
• A vector is a quantity completely specified by means of
a magnitude and direction. Velocity, displacement,
acceleration, and force are examples of vectors. When
vector quantities are added, the result is a resultant.
• Two or more forces often act simultaneously on a body
at the same time. The angle between these forces may
be between 0 and 180. The resultant of these forces is
a single force which would have the same effect as all
of the forces.
• A single force that establishes equilibrium with these
forces is the equilibrant. It is equal in magnitude but
opposite in direction to the resultant.
Force Vectors
• The experiment will make
use of the force table. The
force table is used to check
the equilibrant of a set of
forces or to resolve a given
known force into its
components. It is a circular
steel disc with angles 0 to
360 inscribed on the edge.
Forces are applied on the
force table by hanging
masses over pulleys that are
clamped on its edge and can
be set at any angles.
Force Vectors
• For example, find the resultant of the following vectors:
• 20 grams at 20degrees
• 30 grams at 45 degrees
• 50 grams at 100 degrees
In that situation, your force table should look like this
F3=50g
F2=30g
F1=20g
Force Vectors
• The 4th weight or F4 that you will add in the force table
will be your equilibrant as it will supposedly balance the
ring on your force table.
F3=50g
F2=30g
F1=20g
Fe=85g
• In this setup for example, the F4 or equilibrant is 85 g at 240 degrees. If the
resultant is same with resultant in magnitude and opposite in direction,
what do you think is the resultant? ___________________
Force Vectors
• We can also compute for the resultant of two or more
vectors using graphical method or
analytical/mathematical method.
• For graphical method, we will simply use graphing paper,
proctactor and ruler in measuring the vectors and
resultant.
• Parallelogram method – for 2 vectors
• Polygon/head to tail method – for 2 or more vectors
Force Vectors: Parallelogram method
• The parallelogram rule says that if we place two vectors
so they have the same initial point, and then complete
the vectors into a parallelogram, then the resultant is
the directed diagonal that starts at the same point as
the vectors.
Vr = 11cm at 35 deg
V2 = 4cm at 70 deg
V1 = 8cm at 0 deg
Force Vectors: Polygon method
• The polygon method of vector addition states that if the sides of a
polygon are taken in the same order to represent a number of
vectors in magnitude and direction, then the resultant vector can
be represented in magnitude and direction by the closing side of the
polygon taken in the opposite order.
Vr = 14cm at 50 deg
V3 = 3cm at 90 deg
V2 = 4cm at 70 deg
V1 = 8cm at 0 deg
Force Vectors: Analytical method
• We can also find the resultant of 2 or more vectors by
getting their x- and y- component and adding them.
However, we will need to apply the Pythagorean
theorem in finding the resultant, its angle and
components.
2 2
𝒚
𝐹𝑅 = 𝐹1 + 𝐹2 𝜽= 𝒕𝒂𝒏−𝟏 ( )
𝒙
𝑭𝒙 = 𝑵𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽 𝑭𝒚 = 𝑵𝒔𝒊𝒏𝜽
Force Vectors: Analytical method
• We can also find the resultant of 2 or more vectors by
getting their x- and y- component and adding them.
However, we will need to apply the Pythagorean
theorem in finding the resultant, its angle and
components.
2 2
𝒚
𝐹𝑅 = 𝐹1 + 𝐹2 𝜽= 𝒕𝒂𝒏−𝟏 ( )
𝒙
𝑭𝒙 = 𝑵𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽 𝑭𝒚 = 𝑵𝒔𝒊𝒏𝜽
Sample Problem 1
• Using the polygon method, find the resultant.
• V1 = 4cm at 35 degrees
• V2 = 8cm at 85 degrees
• V3 = 11cm at 110 degrees
Sample Problem 2
• Compute for the resultant using the component method
• F1 = 200 N at 85degrees
• F2 = 340 N at 32dgrees
• F3 = 290 N at 105degrees
𝐹1 𝑥 = 200𝑐𝑜𝑠85 𝐹1 𝑦 = 200𝑠𝑖𝑛85
𝐹1 𝑥 = 17.43 𝐹1 𝑦 = 199.24
𝐹2 𝑥 = 340𝑐𝑜𝑠32 𝐹2 𝑦 = 340𝑠𝑖𝑛32
𝐹2 𝑥 = 288.37 𝐹2 𝑦 = 180.17
𝐹3 𝑥 = 290𝑐𝑜𝑠105 𝐹3 𝑦 = 290𝑠𝑖𝑛105
𝐹3 𝑥 = −75.05 𝐹3 𝑦 = 280.19
𝑭𝑹 𝒙 = 𝟏𝟕. 𝟒𝟑 + 𝟐𝟖𝟖. 𝟑𝟕 + (−𝟕𝟓. 𝟎𝟓) 𝑭𝑹 𝒚 = 𝟏𝟗𝟗. 𝟐𝟒 + 𝟏𝟖𝟎. 𝟏𝟕 + 𝟐𝟖𝟎. 𝟏𝟗
𝑭𝑹 𝒙 = 𝟐𝟑𝟎. 𝟕𝟓 𝑭𝑹 𝒚 = 𝟔𝟓𝟗. 𝟔
Sample Problem 2
since we have triangle, we can use the
Pythagorean theorem in this situation
𝐹𝑅 = ? 𝐹𝑅 = 𝐹𝑥 2 + 𝐹2 2
𝑭𝑹 𝒚 = 𝟔𝟓𝟗. 𝟔 𝐹𝑅 = (230.75)2 +(659.6)2
𝑭𝑹 = 𝟔𝟗𝟖. 𝟖 𝐍
𝜃 =? 𝑦
𝜃= 𝑡𝑎𝑛−1
𝑭𝑹 𝒙 = 𝟐𝟑𝟎. 𝟕𝟓 𝑥
659.6
𝜃= 𝑡𝑎𝑛−1
230.75
𝜽 = 𝟕𝟎. 𝟕𝟐 °
The Resultant is 698.8 N at 𝟕𝟎.𝟕𝟐 °
References:
• https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/vectors/Lesson-
1/Component-Addition
• https://www.texasgateway.org/resource/52-vector-addition-and-
subtraction-analytical-methods
