Group #4:

Lab 2: Vectors (Group 4#)

Introduction: Vectors are very important components to not only the laws physics, but also xlife
in general. Vectors are scalar values associated with a direction. Vectors are so crucial to our
everyday's lives for so many reasons, one of the most prevalent being directions. If vectors
remained scalar with no direction, there would be multiple places the end point could end up.
For example if you were given a set of directions that only contained scalar quantities such as
distance the set of directions would not be valid because you would need distance and direction
in order to reach an endpoint. The purpose of this lab specifically, is to take a set of force
vectors and sum them together in order to find the net force vector.

Procedure: The protocol followed in this lab came from “PHYS 207 Lab 2 Manual - Vectors
from Spring 2019”. No deviations were made from the procedure.

Figure 1:
Aₓ Ay What to do with the number your calculator
returns

+ + Nothing

- + Add 180°

- + Add 180°

+ - Add 360°
This table was used to help determine the angles of the corresponding vectors from each part
Below.

Figure 2:

Group Part ma ΘA mB ΘB mc ΘC Resulting Resulting ΘR mr

(g) (g) (g) Vector Magnitud (g)
 (N) e
(N)

4 A 200 314 -1.36X̂ + 1.96 134° 200

-1.41 ŷ
4 B 150 7 50 294 1.66X̂ + 1.68 171° 171
-0.27 ŷ
4 C 100 111 50 222 150 189 2.17X̂+ 2.20 351° 224
-0.36 ŷ
4 D Rotate Clockwise 9° 2.10X̂+ 2.20 342° 224
-0.69 ŷ

4 A Components (N)
A: 1.96
Ax: 1.36
Ay: -1.41

4 B Components (N)
A: 1.47
Ax: 1.459
Ay: 0.179
B: 0.49
Bx: 0.199
By:-0.445

4 C Components (N) Continued

A: 0.981
Ax: -0.352 B: 0.491 C: 1.47
Ay: 0.916 Bx: -0.365 Cx: -1.45
By: -0.329 Cy: -0.230

4 D Components (N) Continued

A: 0.981 B: 0.491 C: 1.47
Ax: -0.204 Bx: -0.412 Cx: -1.47
Ay: 0.960 By: -0.267 Cy: 0
Some of the values may be slightly different from the math work provided, but this table takes
into account significant figures. N represents force, in Newtons, by multiplying the scalar value
of mass from the weights, by the vector quantity of acceleration due to gravity, in m/s.
Sketch: This force table assembled with a circular disk with marked degrees from 1 to 360
around the rim is what we used for this lab. The pulley that were attached from the rim in any
direction. There is a central ring which has several strings attached to it was the test to see if we
calculated properly. This ring is the object on which all the forces will act. The weights sketch
were what we added to the pulley.
Analysis:

Part A- Two Strings:

Questions 1-7 provided in math scan.
1. Does the center ring touch the post? No, the center ring does not touch the post.
Actual values recorded in math scan.
2. Guess: 46 degrees at 200 grams

Part B- Three Strings:

Questions 1-7 provided in math scan.
3. Does the center ring touch the post? No, the center ring does not touch the post.
Actual values of balanced forces is recorded in math scan.
4. Guess: 59 degrees at 100 grams

Part C- Four Strings:

Questions 1-7 provided in math scan.
1. Does the center ring touch the post? No, the center ring does not touch the post. Our
proof of the balancing the forces to get a net force of zero is recorded in our work.
2. Guess: 162 degrees at 50 grams

Part D- Rotational Invariance:

1. Does this match the resultant vector in the new reference frame?
Based on our work, the resultant vector from part C matches the result vector
of the new reference frame in part D in terms of magnitude, but the components
of
Each vector were different; while the forces for each vector were the same from
C, the main difference is that the net force of the resultant vector varied slightly in
direction, in terms of x hat and y hat, which make sense if we changed the direction of
the vectors in part D by rotating each vector 9 degrees clockwise, where the forces were
calculated from the unchanged values of mass from the weights and acceleration due to
gravity.

Analysis Continued:
1. Discuss the importance of finding the net force of an object: The importance of
finding the net force of an object is so that the resulting vectors can balance the other
vectors out and keep the ring from accelerating and hitting the post by “holding” it in
 place. Note: mass is not a vector, but rather, force is, therefore we would need to find
the net force in order to balance the vectors.

2. Discuss the importance of the results observed in Part D: The importance of the
results as observed in part D is that the magnitude of the result vector remained
unchanged from part C, and the forces of each of the vectors, except their components,
remained unchanged. By rotating the table, only the direction (the component of each
vector) changes.

3. Was either part (C ) or (D) easier to calculate? Why? Part D was easier to calculate
because the forces of each of the vectors remained the same throughout part C. This
made it easier because part D used the same magnitudes (force) and only had different
directions such as rotating it clockwise nine degrees, and we only had to compute the
components of each vector and the resultant vector, along with its angle.

Conclusion:

After playing around with vectors on a force table, through weighed down strings
connected to a ring, we learned the importance of vectors and how they are scalar quantities
with direction. To learn the importance of net force, we had to calculate the forces of each
vector (string) by multiplying the mass with the weights attached, times the acceleration due to
gravity at |9.8| m/s2 and then later had to find their components so that a resultant vector could
be created; when this vector was added to the rest, it allowed us to witness that a balance of
forces required a net force of 0, where there isn’t one force (vector) overpowering the other. By
rotating and assigning directions with degrees, we further learned how direction plays a role in
finding net force in that the vectors remain unchanged if each is rotated to the same degree and
direction, but their components changed as a result of the rotation. While we were able to keep
a ring from hitting a post to further establish the importance of a net force, we were sometimes
closer to hitting the ring than other times. Despite keeping the ring from moving, indicating no
acceleration, having it not be quite centered around the post showed that we may have had
some experimental error with our math calculations, where a tenths or hundredths of a place
may have affected our results found.