I have a test today, and was planning on asking my teacher this question from our homework, but he I just got a message from a friend saying he's not here today... so I need some serious help. I don't understand how to do this problem at all...
"The resultant of 2 forces acting on a body has a magnitude of 50 pounds. The angles between the resultant and the forces are 64 degrees and 34 degrees. Find the magnitude of the larger force."
"The resultant of 2 forces acting on a body has a magnitude of 50 pounds. The angles between the resultant and the forces are 64 degrees and 34 degrees. Find the magnitude of the larger force."
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A good sketch goes miles. I wish I could draw it for you. Put the component vectors point to tail with the larger vector first. The path goes from A to B to C, forming a triangle.
The resultant is AC, so let AC = 50.
The greater component will make a smaller angle with the resultant.
angle BAC = 34°
The angle between the lesser component and the resultant is at point C.
angle BCA = 64°
By the angle sum rule, angle ABC = 180° - 34° - 64° = 82°.
You now have three angles and one side of a triangle. Go to work. The magnitude of the larger component force is AB.
The resultant is AC, so let AC = 50.
The greater component will make a smaller angle with the resultant.
angle BAC = 34°
The angle between the lesser component and the resultant is at point C.
angle BCA = 64°
By the angle sum rule, angle ABC = 180° - 34° - 64° = 82°.
You now have three angles and one side of a triangle. Go to work. The magnitude of the larger component force is AB.