Getting magnitude and direction of 3 forces

In summary, the conversation discusses the use of the polygon of forces method to determine the magnitude and direction of the resultant of 3 co-planar forces acting at a point. The resulting magnitude is found to be 42.19KN and the direction is 58.57 degrees. However, when drawn on graph paper, the angle is measured to be 75 degrees instead.
  • #1
anthonyk2013
125
0
I have completed this question but I am not sure I am right.

3 co-planer forces acting at a point 0, 100KN→ at 0deg from o point, 70KN→120deg from o point and 50KN →210deg from o point (hope that make sense, can't draw it).

using a scale of 10mm+10KN determine, By means of polygon of forces method magnitude and direction of their resultant.

force--------Fx=fcosθ------------Fy=sinθ
100KN----100cos0=100 ------100sin0=0
70KN------70cos120=-35 ---- 70sin120=61
50KN------50cos210=-43 ---- 50sin210=-25
-------------------Ʃfx=22 ------------Ʃfy=36

Resultant=42.19KN

Tan-1=o/A=36/22=58.57deg
 
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  • #2
Looks reasonable to me--except that the units are KN, not N. (You did it using components, but I suppose they wanted you to use a graphical method.)
 
  • #3
Doc Al said:
Looks reasonable to me--except that the units are KN, not N. (You did it using components, but I suppose they wanted you to use a graphical method.)

When I draw it on graph paper I measured the resultant and it was very close to the one I worked out,
the angle on the other hand is off on the graph it 75deg.
 

Related to Getting magnitude and direction of 3 forces

1. How do I determine the magnitude of a force?

The magnitude of a force can be determined by using the formula F=ma, where F is the force, m is the mass of the object, and a is the acceleration. Alternatively, you can also use a force meter or spring scale to measure the amount of force being applied.

2. How do I determine the direction of a force?

The direction of a force can be determined by using a compass or by using a protractor to measure the angle of the force in relation to a reference point. Additionally, you can also use vector diagrams to visually represent the direction of multiple forces acting on an object.

3. How do I find the net force of multiple forces acting on an object?

To find the net force, you must first determine the magnitude and direction of each individual force. Then, you can use vector addition to add the forces together and find the resulting net force. Alternatively, you can use the formula Fnet = ∑F, where Fnet is the net force and ∑F is the sum of all the individual forces acting on the object.

4. How do I calculate the angle of a force using its components?

If you have the components of a force (horizontal and vertical), you can use the formula θ = tan^-1(Fy/Fx) to calculate the angle of the force. Fy is the vertical component and Fx is the horizontal component. This will give you the direction of the force in relation to the horizontal axis.

5. Can a force have a negative magnitude?

Yes, a force can have a negative magnitude. This indicates that the force is acting in the opposite direction of the chosen reference point. It is important to consider both the magnitude and direction of a force when determining its overall effect on an object.

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