Home » Further Mathematics »  Find the direction of the resultant of the forces in the diagram.

 Find the direction of the resultant of the forces in the diagram.

 Find the direction of the resultant of the forces in the diagram.

Explanation

(R_{1} = begin{pmatrix} -20 cos 60° \ -20 sin 60° end{pmatrix} ; R_{2} = begin{pmatrix} -10 cos 60° \ 10 sin 60° end{pmatrix} )

(R_{3} = begin{pmatrix} 8sqrt{2} cos 45° \ 8sqrt{2} sin 45° end{pmatrix})

(R = R_{1} + R_{2} + R_{3})

(R = begin{pmatrix} -20 cos 60° \ -20 sin 60° end{pmatrix} + begin{pmatrix} -10 cos 60° \ 10 sin 60° end{pmatrix} + begin{pmatrix} 8sqrt{2} cos 45° \ 8sqrt{2} sin 45° end{pmatrix})

(R = begin{pmatrix} -20 times frac{1}{2} \ -20 times frac{sqrt{3}}{2} end{pmatrix} + begin{pmatrix} -10 times frac{1}{2} \ 10 times frac{sqrt{3}}{2} end{pmatrix} + begin{pmatrix} 8sqrt{2} times frac{1}{sqrt{2}} \ 8sqrt{2} times frac{1}{sqrt{2}} end{pmatrix})

= (begin{pmatrix} – 10 – 5 + 8 \ -10sqrt{3} + 5sqrt{3} + 8 end{pmatrix})

= (begin{pmatrix} -7 \ 8 – 5sqrt{3} end{pmatrix} = begin{pmatrix} -7 \ -0.66 end{pmatrix})

Let (theta) be the direction from the horizontal.

(tan theta = frac{-0.66}{-7})

(tan theta = 0.0943)

(theta = tan^{-1} (0.0943) = 5.39°)