Forces on a point particle

Question

Two forces F1 = 3 N and F2 = 4 N act upon a point particle, the forces respectively form angles α = 10° and

β = 40°. Find the magnitude and angle of the resultant force with the x-axis. Consider two different cases.

Answer 1

Use trigonometry to decompose vectors F1 and F2 into their x and y components. Then add the corresponding components. (x1 to x2, y1 to y2). This gives the components of the resultant. Use pythagorean theorem to get the magnitude of the resultant. And then use arcsine or arctan to get the angle of the resultant.