How do I calculate the missing force on an aircraft?

[justice25]

Homework Statement

This was from a recent paper we did in class, I've tried to re-create the drawing as best I can.

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/378/14264945.jpg

The options were (I think)

a) 10n
b) 6n
c) 4n
d) 2n

Homework Equations

Not sure

The Attempt at a Solution

I'm not sure how to work out the missing force

 

[ideasrule]

Do you know how to draw a vector diagram? None of the choices are correct because the answer has to be greater than 10 N (the 6 N can't have no effect).

 

[justice25]

Sorry, I'm not sure how to do that, had a look in goggle and some textbooks, but got nothing simple. I'm 11, and this is beyond the scope of my current course at school, this was off a paper from ground school (flight school), I'm trying to get to grips with it in my spare time to aid my ambition of becoming a pilot.

If you could help me out I'd appreciate it, thanks for your time.

 

[Centurion1]

so what you are looking here is

Force of gravity pointing downwards, that's your 6n and your ten Newtons is your force air resistance. now you have to find the vector for you which is your x. do you know about vectors at all?

 

[ideasrule]

Force of gravity pointing downwards, that's your 6n and your ten Newtons is your force air resistance. now you have to find the vector for you which is your x. do you know about vectors at all?

Sorry, but that's just plain wrong. Can 6N reasonably be gravity? Is the 10N even in the right direction to be air resistance?

justice: adding vectors (which is what forces are) is similar to adding displacements. If you walk 6m "down" and 10 m forwards, how far have you walked in total? Hint: You'd use the Pythagorean theorem to figure it out. Whatever number you get is the answer to the question (the only thing that's different is the name of the unit).

 

[Centurion1]

maybe I am wrong but isn't the 6n the Net force in the y direction? so it involves the upwards force and gravity

and isn't the only force the plane will be encountering in the 10n direction air resistance? i assume trhe plane is going forwards. :)
pythagorean is c^2= a^2 + b^2 by the way

if you look at it like a triangle then you are trying to find the hypotenuse i believe.

Edit: oh wow I am stupid. of course its not air resistance. air resistance points in the opposite direction. your 10n is your net force of the plane in the x direction. lol I am an idiot.

 

[justice25]

So the answer would 10^2 + 6^2 = 136

and then find the square root of 136? This would come out to a decimal though and I'm sure there was no answer with a decimal.

 

[justice25]

Can anyone confirm the above method is correct?