What is the resultant force direction?

In summary, two forces, with magnitudes of 33 N and 17 N and angles of 30 degrees West of South and 30 degrees North of West respectively, act on an object. Using the triangle law of vector addition or the parallelogram method, the resultant force is 37 N at an angle of 57 degrees West of South. The magnitude of the individual forces does not affect the direction of the resultant force.
  • #1
JLPhysics
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Homework Statement


A 33 N force acts on an object at 30 degrees West of South while a 17 N force acts on the same object at 30 degrees North of West. What is the resultant force and direction.

Force1= 33 N
Force 2= 17 N



Homework Equations



Force diagram? Cos?

The Attempt at a Solution



I've been looking forever on the internet, in books but I really have no idea on this. I've tried stuff with cos and sin, though...But nothing worked...I know the answer is 37 N @ 57 degrees west of south. This is new material in my class so this is the first time I've tried to work a problem like this. I have no clue what to do!
 
Last edited:
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  • #2
Are you comfortable with how to add vectors?
 
  • #3
I found force using Pythagorean, but still trying to find direction
 
  • #4
Use triangle law of vector addition or better still use the parallelogram method whose diagonal tells you the direction of the resultant:p\

HINT: THE MAGNITUDE OF FORCES IS NOT IMPORTANT AT ALL...
 

1. What is a resultant force direction?

A resultant force direction is the direction in which the net force on an object is acting. It is the overall effect of all the individual forces acting on the object.

2. How is the resultant force direction calculated?

The resultant force direction can be calculated by finding the vector sum of all the individual forces acting on the object. This is done by adding all the forces together using vector addition.

3. Can the resultant force direction change?

Yes, the resultant force direction can change if the magnitude or direction of any of the individual forces acting on the object changes. It can also change if new forces are added or removed.

4. How does the resultant force direction affect an object's motion?

The resultant force direction determines the direction in which the object will accelerate. If the resultant force is in the same direction as the object's current motion, it will speed up. If it is in the opposite direction, it will slow down. If the resultant force is perpendicular to the object's motion, it will change its direction of motion.

5. What happens if the resultant force direction is zero?

If the resultant force direction is zero, it means that all the individual forces acting on the object are balanced, and there is no net force. In this case, the object will either remain at rest or continue to move at a constant velocity.

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