How does this solution make any sense? (Tension problem)

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a tension problem involving the equilibrant and resultant method in physics. Participants are exploring the representation of force vectors in a triangle and the relationship between the tension in a rope and its graphical depiction.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to understand the use of the equilibrant/resultant method and questions the representation of force vectors, particularly F1, in the context of a triangle. Other participants seek to clarify the original poster's confusion regarding the graphical representation of the tension in the rope.

Discussion Status

The discussion is active, with participants engaging in clarifying the original poster's misunderstanding about the representation of force vectors. Some guidance has been provided regarding the distinction between the length of the rope and the length of the force vector.

Contextual Notes

There appears to be some confusion regarding the graphical representation of forces and the assumptions about how tension is depicted in the problem. The original poster's understanding of the problem setup is being questioned.

Unqualifiedlol
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I know how to solve this problem with x and y components but how do I solve it with the equilibrant/resultant method? I don't understand how you can make a triangle with both F1 and F2 when in the diagram it looks like the magnitude F1 is only partially represented? Why are we just ignoring the rest of the vector? The answer is right of course but I just don't get it
 

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Unqualifiedlol said:
it looks like the magnitude F1 is only partially represented?
It looks fully represented to me. Can you explain your issue a bit more?
 
haruspex said:
It looks fully represented to me. Can you explain your issue a bit more?
Well, because F1 is the tension of the left rope right? In the triangle, it seems like only a section of the "rope" is included in the triangle, while the rest is excluded. Why is that?
 
Unqualifiedlol said:
Well, because F1 is the tension of the left rope right? In the triangle, it seems like only a section of the "rope" is included in the triangle, while the rest is excluded. Why is that?
You appear to be confusing length of rope with length of force vector. The geometry of the rope only tells you the directions of the forces.
 
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haruspex said:
You appear to be confusing length of rope with length of force vector. The geometry of the rope only tells you the directions of the forces.
Thank you so much, that cleared it all up haha.
 

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