Calculating Force and Acceleration Vectors

[flower76]

I'm having trouble with this question because of the angles. Could someone point me in the right direction.

Two forces F1 and F2 act on a body of mass 28kg. F1 has a magnitude of 8N and is directed due east. The second force F2 has a magnitude of 10N and acts in a direction 50 degrees west of north. Find the magnitude and direction of the acceleration of the 28kg mass.

 

[gnome]

Maybe you'll find it easier to think of F2 as being "40 degrees north of west" instead of "50 degrees west of north". Then, resolve F2 into a West component and a North component using sin 50 and cos 50. The question is, which is which?

Draw a diagram & you should be able to figure that out.

 

[dextercioby]

You needn't change the angles...Simply choosing mutually perpendicular axis and ading the vectors in terms of components will do the job...

Daniel.

 

[flower76]

vectors and angles...

I think I understand how to figure out each component individually but am unsure how to put them together toget the magnitude and direction.

 

[dextercioby]

If you have the components,the u can make use of the right triangles and of Pythagora's theorem (for the absolute value/magnitude) and arctangent (for direction/angle)...

It's not difficult.

Daniel.

 

[Nenad]

try doing it geometrically if you don't see it algebraically. Plot the vectors on a grid, head to tail, and then using the points coordinates, find the magnitude by using length of a line formula.

Regards,

Nenad