Experiment 2

FORCE TABLE AND VECTOR ADDITION OF FORCES

OBJECTIVES
1. Demonstrate the addition of several vectors to form a resultant vector using a
force table.
2. Demonstrate the relationship between the resultant of several vectors and the
equilibrant of those vectors.
3. Illustrate and practice graphical and analytical solutions for the addition of
vectors.

MATERIALS

Force table with pulleys, ring, and string, Mass holders and slotted masses,
Protractor and compass

THEORY

Physical quantities that can be completely specified by magnitude only are called
scalars. Examples of scalars include temperature, volume, mass, and time intervals.
Some physical quantities have both magnitude and direction. These are called vectors.
Examples of vector quantities include spatial displacement, velocity, and force.

Consider the case of several forces with different magnitudes and directions that act at
the same point. The single force, which is equivalent in its effect to the effect produced
by the several applied forces, is called the resultant force. This resultant force can be
found theoretically by a special addition process known as vector addition.

One process of vector addition is by graphical techniques. Figure 2-1(a) shows the case
of two vectors, F1 of magnitude 20.0 N, and F 2 of magnitude 30.0 N. A scale of
1.00cm=10.0N is used, and these vectors are shown as 2.00cm and 3.00cm in length,
respectively. The forces are assumed to act at the same point, but 60 0 different in
direction as shown. Figure 2-1(b) shows the graphical addition process called the
parallelogram method. Two lines are constructed, each one parallel to one of the vectors
having the length of that vector as shown. The resultant F R of the vector addition of F1
and F2 is found by constructing the straight line from the point at the tails of the two
vectors to the opposite corner of the parallelogram formed by the original vectors and
the constructed lines. A measurement of the length of F R in Figure2-1(b) shows it to be
4.35cm in length, and a measurement of the angle between F R and F1 shows it to be
about 370. Becausethescaleis1.00cm=10.0N, the value of the resultant F R is 43.5N, and it
acts in a direction 370with respect to the direction of F1.

7
 Figure 2-1 Illustration of the parallelogram and triangle addition of vectors.

In the graphical vector addition process known as the polygon method one of the
vectors is first drawn to scale. Each successive vector to be added is drawn with its tail
starting at the head of the preceding vector. The resultant vector is the vector drawn
from the tail of the first arrow to the head of the last arrow. Figure 2-1(c) shows this
process for the case of only two vectors (for which the polygon method is the triangle
method). The second vector, F2, must be drawn at the proper angle relative to F 1 by
extending a line in the direction of F 1 and constructing F2 relative to that line. In Figure
2-1(c) the length of FR is 4.35cm corresponding to 43.5 N, and it acts at 37 0 with respect
to F1.

The polygon method is illustrated for the case of three vectors in Figure 2-2. Vector F 1 is
drawn, F2 is drawn at the proper angle α relative to F 1, and F3 is drawn at the proper
angle β relative to F2. The resultant FR is the vector connecting the tail of F1 and the head
of F3.

The analytical process of vector addition uses trigonometry to express each vector in
terms of its components projected on the axes of a rectangular coordinate system.
Figure 2-3 shows a vector, a coordinate system superimposed on the vector, and the
components |F| cosθ and |F| sinθ into which the vector is resolved. When the
analytical process for multiple vectors is used, each vector is resolved into components
in that manner. The components along each axis are then added algebraically to produce
the net components of the resultant vector along each axis. Those components are at

8
right angles, and the magnitude of the resultant can be found from the Pythagorean
theorem. The case of three vectors, F1, F2, andF3, is shown in Figure 2-4.

Figure 2-2 Illustration of the polygon method for vector addition.

Figure 2-3 Illustration of analytical resolution of a vector.

Figure 2-4 Illustration of the analytical addition of vectors.

9
Taking the algebraic sum of each of the components of the three vectors and combining
the components to find the resultant and its direction leads to the following:
0 0 0
F Rx =F1 x + F 2 x + F3 x =10.0 cos 0 +15.0 cos 30 +12.0 cos 135 =14.5
0 0 0
F Ry =F1 y + F 2 y + F 3 y =10.0 sin 0 +15.0 sin 30 +12.0 sin 135 =16.0

|F R|=F R= √( F Rx )2 + ( F Ry )2=√ ( 14.5 )2+ ( 16.0 )2=21.6

0
θ=arctan ( F Rx /F Ry )=arctan ( 16.0/14.5 )=47.7

The force table (Figure 2-5) provides a force from the gravitational attraction on masses
attached to a ring by a string passing over a pulley. Each force is applied over a separate
pulley, and the pulley positions can be adjusted to any desired position around a
circular plate. Experimentally the applied forces are balanced by the application of a
single force that is equal to the magnitude of the resultant of the applied forces and acts
opposite of the resultant. This balancing force (called the equilibrant) is what is
determined by the measurements. The resultant is the same magnitude as the
equilibrant and 1800 different in direction.

Figure 2-5 Force Table before and after assembly.

10
PROCEDURE

Part 1. Two Applied Forces

1. Place a pulley at the 20.00 mark on the force table and place a total of 0.100 kg
(including the mass holder) on the end of the string. Calculate the magnitude of
the force (in N) produced by the mass. Assume that g = 9.80 m/s 2. Assume three
significant figures for this and for all other calculations of force. Record the value
of this force as F1 in Data Table 1.
2. Place a second pulley at the 90.00 mark on the force table and place a total of
0.200 kg on the end of the string. Calculate the force produced and record as F 2 in
Data Table 1.
3. Determine by trial and error the magnitude of mass needed and the angle at
which it must be located for the ring to be centered on the force table. Jiggle the
ring slightly to be sure that this equilibrium condition is met. Attach all strings to
the ring so that they are directed along a line passing through the center of the
ring. All the forces will then act through the point at the center of the table.
Record this value of mass in Data Table 1 in the row labeled Equilibrant F E1.
4. Calculate the force produced (mg) on the experimentally determined mass.
Record the magnitude and direction of this equilibrant force FE1 in Data Table 1.
5. The resultant FR1 is equal in magnitude to FE1, and its direction is 1800 from FE1.
Record the magnitude of the force F R1, the mass equivalent of this force, and the
direction of the force in Data Table 1 in the row labeled Resultant F R1.

Part 2. Three Applied Forces

1. Place a pulley at 30.00 with 0.150 kg on it, one at 100.0 0 with 0.200 kg on it, and
one at 145.00 with 0.100 kg on it.
2. Calculate the force produced by those masses and record them as F 3, F4, and F5 in
Data Table 2.
3. Determine the equilibrant force and the resultant force by following a procedure
like that in Part 1, Steps 3 through 5 above. Record the magnitudes of the forces,
the associated values of mass, and the directions in Data Table 2 in the rows
labeled FE2 and FR2.

11
CALCULATIONS

Part 1. Two Applied Forces

1. Find the resultant of these two applied forces by scaled graphical construction
using the parallelogram method. Use a ruler and protractor to construct vectors
with scaled length and direction that represent F 1 and F2. A convenient scale
might be 1.00 cm= 0.100 N. All directions are given relative to the force table.
Account for this in the graphical construction to ensure the proper angle of one
vector to another. Determine the magnitude and direction of the resultant from
your graphical solution and record them in the appropriate section of
Calculations Table 1.
2. Use trigonometry to calculate the components of F 1 and F2 and record them in
the analytical solution portion of Calculations Table 1. Add the components
algebraically and determine the magnitude of the resultant by the Pythagorean
theorem. Determine the angle of the resultant from the arc tan of the
components. Record those results in Calculations Table 1.
3. Calculate the percentage error of the magnitude of the experimental value of F R
compared to the analytical solution for F R. Also calculate the percentage error of
the magnitude of the graphical solution for F R compared to the analytical
solution for FR. For each of those comparisons, also calculate the magnitude of
the difference in the angle. Record all values in Calculations Table 1.

Part 2. Three Applied Forces

1. Use the polygon scaled graphical construction method to find the resultant of the
three applied forces. Determine the magnitude and direction of the resultant
from your graphical solution and record them in Calculations Table 2.
2. Use trigonometry to calculate the components of all three forces, the
components of the resultant, and the magnitude and direction of the resultant,
and record them all in Calculations Table 2.
3. Make the same error calculations for this problem as described in Step 3 of Part
1 above. Record the values in Calculations Table 2.

12
Name: Date:
Course, Year, & Section: Group No.:

Experiment 2
FORCE TABLE AND VECTOR ADDITION OF FORCES

Data Table 1
Force Mass (kg) Force (N) Direction
F1 0.100 20.00
F2 0.200 90.00
Equilibrant FE1
Resultant FR1

Data Table 2
Force Mass (kg) Force (N) Direction
F3 0.150 30.00
F4 0.200 100.00
F5 0.100 145.00
Equilibrant FE2
Resultant FR2

Calculations Table 1
Graphical Solution
Force Mass (kg) Force (N) Direction
F1 0.100 20.00
F2 0.200 90.00
Resultant FR1

Analytical Solution
Force Mass (kg) Force (N) Direction x-component y-component
F1 0.100 20.00
F2 0.200 90.00
Resultant FR1

13
PART 1. ERROR CALCULATIONS
Percent Error magnitude Experimental compared to Analytical = __________%
Percent Error magnitude Graphical compared to Analytical = __________%
Absolute Error in angle Experimental compared to Analytical = __________degrees
Absolute Error in angle Graphical compared to Analytical = __________degrees
Calculations Table 2
Graphical Solution
Force Mass (kg) Force (N) Direction
F3 0.150 30.00
F4 0.200 100.00
F5 0.100 145.00
Resultant FR2

Analytical Solution
Force Mass (kg) Force (N) Direction x-component y-component
F3 0.150 30.00
F4 0.200 100.00
F5 0.100 145.00
Resultant FR2

PART 2. ERROR CALCULATIONS

Percent Error magnitude Experimental compared to Analytical = __________%
Percent Error magnitude Graphical compared to Analytical = __________%
Absolute Error in angle Experimental compared to Analytical = __________degrees
Absolute Error in angle Graphical compared to Analytical = __________degrees
QUESTIONS
1. To determine the force acting on each mass it was assumed that g = 9.80 m/s 2.
The value of g at the place where the experiment is performed may be slightly
different from that value. State what effect (if any) it would have on the
percentage error calculated for the comparisons. To test your answer to the
question, leave g as a symbol in the calculation of the percentage error.

14
2. Two forces are applied to the ring of a force table, one at an angle of 20.0 0, and
the other at an angle of 80.00. Regardless of the magnitudes of the forces,
describe which quadrant the resultant and equilibrant can be located.

3. Two forces, one of magnitude 2 N and the other of magnitude 3 N, are applied to
the ring of a force table. The directions of both forces are unknown. Which best
describes the limitations on R, the resultant? Explain carefully the basis for your
answer. (a) R≤5 N (b) 2 N≤R≤3 N (c) R≥3 N (d) 1 N≤R≤5 N (e) R≤2 N.

4. Suppose the same masses are used for a force table experiment as were used in
Part 1, but each pulley is moved 180 0 so that the 0.100 kg mass acts at 200 0, and
the 0.200 kg mass acts at 2700. What is the magnitude of the resultant in this
case? How does it compare to the resultant in Part 1?

15
5. Pulleys introduce a possible source of error because of their possible friction.
Given that they are a source of error, why are the pulleys used at all? What is the
function of the pulleys?

16
17
18
19