F’r=50 Nsin 23.53F’r=14.07 NSolving Fr with Law of Sines

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a physics problem involving forces and angles, specifically utilizing the law of sines and the law of cosines to analyze a free body diagram. The original poster attempts to solve for a force (Fr) and its corresponding angle, referencing a diagram and calculations made with AutoCAD.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Mathematical reasoning, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the application of the law of sines and cosines to determine unknown angles and forces. The original poster questions how to replicate an angle measurement provided by AutoCAD without using the software. Others provide calculations and reasoning regarding the relationships between the forces and angles in the diagram.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants sharing their calculations and interpretations. Some guidance has been offered regarding the use of trigonometric laws, but there is no explicit consensus on the method to find the angle in question.

Contextual Notes

Participants are working with a specific diagram and calculations that may not be fully detailed in the thread. There is mention of a "3-4-5" triangle and angles derived from trigonometric functions, indicating that certain assumptions about the geometry are being explored.

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Please look at this pic for the problem. http://thumb5.webshots.com/t/57/757/4/82/60/2732482600078932085VPLQzD_th.jpg
I have drawn the freebody diagrams correctly.
http://thumb5.webshots.com/t/53/453/3/64/60/2611364600078932085NMvdfG_th.jpg
http://thumb5.webshots.com/t/53/453/3/64/60/2611364600078932085NMvdfG_th.jpg
I solved for F' to be 14.07 N, but I can't solve Fr. I think the key to the problem is the law of sines. According to autocad the angle opposite Fr is 13 degrees, but how do I solve for that myself without autocad?

Here's some work I've done:

90-20=70 degrees

F’2=(50 N)2 + (20 N)2 -2(50 N)(20 N)cos(70)
F’=47.07 N

47.07 N 50 N
----------= -------- Θ=86.46 degrees
Sin 70 sin Θ

90-86.46= 23.53 degrees
 
Last edited:
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Basically, i just need to now how autocad computed one of the angles in the diagram to be 13 degrees.
 
anybody? please!
 
F2 and F3 "added" tail to head, form a triangle having adjacent sides of lengths 20 and 50 and angle 90- 20= 70 degrees between them. By the cosine law, the length of the third side is given by c2= 202+ 502- 2(20)(50)cos(70)= 2216 so c= 47N as you got. Further the angle that vector makes with the positive x-axis is given by the sine law:
[tex]\frac{sin \theta}{20}= \frac{sin 70}{47}[/tex]
so [itex]\theta[/itex]= 24 degrees.
F1 isn't given as an angle but apparently forms a "3-4-5" right triangle. It's not difficult to calculate that the angle F1 makes with the negative x-axis is given by [itex]tan(\theta)= \frac{3}{4}[/itex] so [itex]\theta[/itex]= 37 degrees.
Putting F' and F1 "tail to head" gives us a triangle with adjacent sides of lengths 30 and 47 and angle between them 37- 24= 13 degrees. Now use the cosine law again: The opposite side is given by
[tex]c^2= 30^2+ 47^2- 2(30)(47)cos(13)[/tex]
You can use the sine law again to find the direction.
 
I agree with your results for F'.

The diagram with the problem indirectly indicates the angle of F1 with the 3,4,5 triangle. This means that the angle that it makes with the x-axis can be calculated with

[tex]arctan(\frac{3}{4})[/tex]
 
Last edited:

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