SOLUTION: Two forces act on an object at 30° to each other. One force has a magnitude of 180 N, and the resultant has a magnitude of 320 N. a) Draw a vector diagram illustrating this situat

Algebra ->  Vectors -> SOLUTION: Two forces act on an object at 30° to each other. One force has a magnitude of 180 N, and the resultant has a magnitude of 320 N. a) Draw a vector diagram illustrating this situat      Log On


   



Question 1159987: Two forces act on an object at 30° to each other. One force has a magnitude of 180 N, and the resultant has a magnitude of 320 N. a) Draw a vector diagram illustrating this situation.
Answer by KMST(5328) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
The magnitude of the resultant of the twp forces, in Newton, is R=320 .The magnitude of a known first force, in Newton, is F1=180 .
Let the magnitude of the second force be F2 Newton.
I would draw my vector diagram as shown below.

Depending on instructor preferences, the diagram expected could have
both vectors starting from the same point with parallel segments added forming a parallelogram, like this:
.
I could solve it several different ways,
but here is a simple way, assuming knowing only a little trigonometry.
We are concerned with two right triangles, ABC and ABD below.

AB=320 (the magnitude of R)
BC=180 (the magnitude of F1)
We want to find AC (the magnitude of F2).
From trigonometry, we find that
CD=180%2Acos%2830%5Eo%29=155.88 and BD=180%2Asin%2830%5Eo%29=90 .
We can find AD simply using the Pythagorean theorem as
In physics class you could say those are the magnitudes of the horizontal and vertical components of F1.
AD=sqrt%28AB%5E2%2BBD%5E2%29=sqrt%28320%5E2-90%5E2%29=307.08
You could say that AD+is+the+magnitude+of+the+horizontal+component+of+R.%0D%0AWith+%7B%7B%7BAD and CD , we find
AC=AD-CD=307.08-155.88=151.2