How can we find the formula of the force?

In summary, the conversation was about finding the formula for a vector-force given certain conditions. The formula was derived using dot product and unit vectors. The conversation also touched on finding the angle between two vectors and calculating work produced by a force. The convention of positive angles being counter clockwise was also mentioned.
  • #1
evinda
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Hello! (Wave)

A force $6N$ forms an angle $\frac{\pi}{4}$ with the y-axis, showing to the right.
The force is opposed by the movement of an object along the line that connects $(1,2)$ with $(5,4)$.
I want to find a formula for the vector-force $F$.

The line that connects $(1,2)$ with $(5,4)$ is $l(t)=(1,2)+t(4,2), t \in \mathbb{R}$.
How can we find the formula of the force?
 
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  • #2
evinda said:
Hello! (Wave)

A force $6N$ forms an angle $\frac{\pi}{4}$ with the y-axis, showing to the right.
The force is opposed by the movement of an object along the line that connects $(1,2)$ with $(5,4)$.
I want to find a formula for the vector-force $F$.

The line that connects $(1,2)$ with $(5,4)$ is $l(t)=(1,2)+t(4,2), t \in \mathbb{R}$.
How can we find the formula of the force?

Hey evinda! (Smile)

Forces and movements live in different universes.
It's because of a force that a movement changes, but movements have no impact on forces whatsoever.
Apparently your force is $\mathbf F = (6/\sqrt 2, 6/\sqrt 2) \text{ N}$. The movement does not change that. (Nerd)
 
  • #3
I like Serena said:
Hey evinda! (Smile)

Forces and movements live in different universes.
It's because of a force that a movement changes, but movements have no impact on forces whatsoever.
Apparently your force is $\mathbf F = (6/\sqrt 2, 6/\sqrt 2) \text{ N}$. The movement does not change that. (Nerd)

Why does it hold that $\mathbf F = (6/\sqrt 2, 6/\sqrt 2) \text{ N}$ ? How do we deduce it? (Thinking)
 
  • #4
evinda said:
Why does it hold that $\mathbf F = (6/\sqrt 2, 6/\sqrt 2) \text{ N}$ ? How do we deduce it? (Thinking)

An angle of $\frac\pi 4$ with the y-axis showing to the right corresponds with the unit vector $\frac 1 {\sqrt 2} (1,1)$.
Multiply by the value of the force to get the force vector. (Nerd)
 
  • #5
I like Serena said:
An angle of $\frac\pi 4$ with the y-axis showing to the right corresponds with the unit vector $\frac 1 {\sqrt 2} (1,1)$.

Why is it like that? Could you explain it further to me? (Thinking)
 
  • #6
evinda said:
Why is it like that? Could you explain it further to me? (Thinking)

The unit vector along the y-axis is $(0,1)$.
Suppose $(u,v)$ is a unit vector that makes an angle of $\frac \pi 4$ with it.
Then their dot product has to be:
$$(u,v) \cdot (0,1) = 1 \cdot 1 \cdot \cos \frac \pi 4$$
So:
$$v = \frac 1 {\sqrt 2}$$
And since $\sqrt{u^2+v^2} = 1$:
$$u = \pm \frac 1 {\sqrt 2}$$
(Thinking)
 
  • #7
I like Serena said:
The unit vector along the y-axis is $(0,1)$.
Suppose $(u,v)$ is a unit vector that makes an angle of $\frac \pi 4$ with it.
Then their dot product has to be:
$$(u,v) \cdot (0,1) = 1 \cdot 1 \cdot \cos \frac \pi 4$$
So:
$$v = \frac 1 {\sqrt 2}$$
And since $\sqrt{u^2+v^2} = 1$:
$$u = \pm \frac 1 {\sqrt 2}$$
(Thinking)

Do we have to suppose that $(u,v)$ shows to the right to reject $u=-\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}$?
 
  • #8
evinda said:
Do we have to suppose that $(u,v)$ shows to the right to reject $u=-\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}$?

Yep. (Nod)
 
  • #9
I like Serena said:
The unit vector along the y-axis is $(0,1)$.

Could we also pick the unit vector along the y-axis $(0,-1)$? Or does $v$ have to be positive?
 
  • #10
evinda said:
Could we also pick the unit vector along the y-axis $(0,-1)$? Or does $v$ have to be positive?

That's a unit vector along the negative y-axis.
A unit vector along the y-axis is considered to be along the positive y-axis. (Nerd)
 
  • #11
I like Serena said:
Yep. (Nod)

View attachment 5326

If we would take $u=-\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}$ the vector would show to the left as at the above graph, right?
 

Attachments

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  • #12
evinda said:
If we would take $u=-\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}$ the vector would show to the left as at the above graph, right?

Right. (Nod)
 
  • #13
I like Serena said:
Right. (Nod)

Great!
I want to find also the angle $\theta$ that form the vector of the direction of the movement $D=(5-1)i+(4-2)j$ and the direction of the force $F$.

I have thought the following:

$$F \cdot D=||F|| ||D|| \cos{\theta} \Rightarrow \left( \frac{6}{\sqrt{2}},\frac{6}{\sqrt{2}} \right) \cdot (4,2)=6 \sqrt{20} \cos{\theta} \Rightarrow \cos{\theta}=\frac{3}{\sqrt{10}}$$Am I right?
 
  • #14
evinda said:
Great!
I want to find also the angle $\theta$ that form the vector of the direction of the movement $D=(5-1)i+(4-2)j$ and the direction of the force $F$.

I have thought the following:

$$F \cdot D=||F|| ||D|| \cos{\theta} \Rightarrow \left( \frac{6}{\sqrt{2}},\frac{6}{\sqrt{2}} \right) \cdot (4,2)=6 \sqrt{20} \cos{\theta} \Rightarrow \cos{\theta}=\frac{3}{\sqrt{10}}$$Am I right?

Yep! (Nod)
 
  • #15
I like Serena said:
Yep! (Nod)

Nice... How can I find the value of $\theta$ in radians? (Thinking)
 
  • #16
evinda said:
Nice... How can I find the value of $\theta$ in radians? (Thinking)

That's
$$\theta = \arccos {\frac 3 {\sqrt {10}}}$$
There doesn't seem to be a nicer expression for that. (Worried)
 
  • #17
I like Serena said:
That's
$$\theta = \arccos {\frac 3 {\sqrt {10}}}$$
There doesn't seem to be a nicer expression for that. (Worried)

Nice... Thanks a lot! (Cool)
 
  • #18
If we would have the following:The work $W$ that is produced if an object moves from $(0,0)$ to $(7,2)$ by the influence of a force $F$ is $W=F \cdot r$, where $r$ is a vector with starting point $(0,0)$ and end point $(7,2)$. We suppose that the force $F$ has length $6 lb$ and forms an angle $\frac{\pi}{6} rad$ with the horizontal axis with direction to the right.

I want to find $W$.

Again I took a unit vector $(u,v)$ that forms angle $\frac{\pi}{6}$ with the $x$-axis and shows to the right.
A unit vector along the $x$-axis is $(1,0)$.

Then using the dot-product, we get that $u=\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}$.

Then since $(u,v)$ is a unit vector we get $v=\pm \frac{1}{2}$.

How do we reject one of $\frac{1}{2}$ or $-\frac{1}{2}$ ?

Wouldn't the vector show at both cases to the right?
 
  • #19
evinda said:
If we would have the following:The work $W$ that is produced if an object moves from $(0,0)$ to $(7,2)$ by the influence of a force $F$ is $W=F \cdot r$, where $r$ is a vector with starting point $(0,0)$ and end point $(7,2)$. We suppose that the force $F$ has length $6 lb$ and forms an angle $\frac{\pi}{6} rad$ with the horizontal axis with direction to the right.

I want to find $W$.

Again I took a unit vector $(u,v)$ that forms angle $\frac{\pi}{6}$ with the $x$-axis and shows to the right.
A unit vector along the $x$-axis is $(1,0)$.

Then using the dot-product, we get that $u=\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}$.

Then since $(u,v)$ is a unit vector we get $v=\pm \frac{1}{2}$.

How do we reject one of $\frac{1}{2}$ or $-\frac{1}{2}$ ?

Wouldn't the vector show at both cases to the right?

Hey evinda! (Smile)

A positive angle is conventionally counter clock wise, that is, upward.
At least that's what I would assume without any other information.
 
  • #20
Do we use the fact that the force $F$ forms an angle $\frac{\pi}{6} rad$ with the horizontal axis with direction to the right ? If so, at which point?
 
  • #21
evinda said:
Do we use the fact that the force $F$ forms an angle $\frac{\pi}{6} rad$ with the horizontal axis with direction to the right ? If so, at which point?

A vector of itself has no position - there is no point.
We can pick any point we'd like, say, the origin.
Then we might say that it makes an angle of $\frac{\pi}{6} \text{ rad}$ on the unit circle.
Or that it makes an angle of $\frac{\pi}{6} \text{ rad}$ with the positive x-axis.
More generally, it's with any horizontal line with direction to the right. (Nerd)
 

Related to How can we find the formula of the force?

1. How do we measure the force?

The force can be measured using a tool called a force meter. This device typically consists of a spring and a scale, and it measures the amount of force needed to stretch the spring. The more force applied, the more the spring will stretch, and the higher the reading on the scale will be.

2. What is the formula for force?

The formula for force is F = m x a, where F represents force, m represents mass, and a represents acceleration. This is known as Newton's second law of motion and is often written as F = ma.

3. How do we determine the direction of the force?

The direction of the force can be determined using the right-hand rule. This rule states that if you point your thumb in the direction of the force and your fingers in the direction of motion, your palm will point in the direction of the resulting acceleration.

4. Can the formula for force be used for all types of forces?

No, the formula F = m x a is specifically for calculating the force of an object's motion. Other types of forces, such as gravitational force or electromagnetic force, have their own formulas and principles for calculation.

5. How can we find the value of the force if we know the mass and acceleration?

To find the value of the force, simply plug in the known values of mass and acceleration into the formula F = m x a. Make sure to use the correct units for each variable, such as kilograms for mass and meters per second squared for acceleration.

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