FORCE

Dzon

vector The Equilibrium

L A B O R A T O R Y R E P O R T
INTRODUCTION

THEORY: Review the analytical method using components and also the graphical
methods of adding components and also the graphical methods of adding vectors as
found in your text. You may also go to:

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE: When two or more forces are applied to the ring, their
vectors sum, or resultant R, can be found by finding the additional force needed to
balance the applied force. For example, if two forces are applied the resultant, or vector
sum, is

( 1 ) F 1 + F2 =R

The magnitude and direction of R can be found by finding a third force E such that

F 1+ F 2 + E=0∨,

( 1 ) F 1 + F2 =−E

E is called the equilibrant and we can see when comparing equations (1) and (2) that

−E=R

NEWTON’S LAWS OF MOTION, three statements describing the relations

between the forces acting on a body and the motion of the body, first formulated by
English physicist and mathematician Isaac Newton, which are the foundation of
classical mechanics.

FIRST LAW: an object at rest tends to remain at rest while an object in motion
tends to remain in motion along the same line of its motion.

SECOND LAW: F = ma , where F is the net force acting on an object; m is its mass
and a is its acceleration. Note that both F and a are vectors and must point in the
same direction. When F is zero, the result is Newton's First Law.

THIRD LAW: This has to do with the balancing of forces between objects. If you

push against a wall, the wall pushes back at you. As you stand on a floor, you
weight pushes against the floor, but the floor pushes back at you. Note that you,
the wall and the floor are separate objects. 
 Many of the quantities we encounter in physics have both magnitude (“how
much”) and direction. Forces are "pushes" or "pulls" on the object, and forces, like
velocity and acceleration are vector quantities.

We can represent vectors graphically as arrows and then the sum of two vectors
is found (graphically) by joining the head of one to the tail of the other and then
connecting head to tail for the combination. The sum of two (or more) vectors is often
called the resultant.

THE FORCE TABLE:

The Force Table is an apparatus that

allows the experimental determination
of the resultant of force vectors. It
consists of a large aluminum disk with
the rim graduated in degrees. Forces are
applied to a central ring by means of
strings passing over pulleys and attached
to weight hangers. The magnitude of the
vector is varied by adding masses to the
weight hangers and the direction of the vector is changed by moving the pulleys along
the rim at different angles. Vectors will be added experimentally using the force table.
The vectors will also be added graphically and analytically. The magnitude of the
experimental resultant will be compared to the magnitude of the resultant as found
from the analytical method.

OBJECTIVES:

The objective of this experiment is to study vectors and compare experimental

results with graphical and analytical calculations by finding a resultant force that
balances out the given force so that the system will be in equilibrium.

QUESTIONS:

1. Why is it necessary to include the mass of the weight hangers? Since they
have the same mass shouldn’t it cancel out?
2. What are the sources of error? List them. What is the largest source of error?
3. Why is it necessary to let the string slip on the ring?
4. What would be the effect of a more massive ring?
METHODS AND MATERIALS

EQUIPMENTS: Force table apparatus, four pulleys, weights and weight hangers, string,
protractor, ruler, bubble level, graph paper, scientific calculator.

PROCEDURE:

At first, the force table was placed on a flat surface and leveled using spirit level.
Three pieces of string of 21 inches long was cut and a loop was tied at the end of each
piece of string and the other end of the string was attached to the ring. The ring was
placed in the circle of the force table encircling the pin and the string was placed over
the pulley attached to the force table. The height of the pulleys around the table was
fixed at the same height.

Three mass holders were taken and for vector A, mass was added to one of the
holders making the entire set up (mass holder and added mass) of 100g. Then it was
placed at the end of the strings looped over a pulley and the pulley was set at an angle
of 60 for test 1 and 150 for test 2. Similarly, for vector B, mass was added to the second
holder making the entire setup of 100g. Then it was placed at the end of one of the
available strings looped over a pulley and the pully was set at an angle of 300.

For vector C, the last mass holder was attached to the end of the last string
looped over the pulley. Mass was added to the system and the angle was adjusted until
the system was in equilibrium. The system was determined to be in equilibrium after the
ring with the attached strings paralleled to and suspended above the ring painted on the
force table allowing the pin to be removed. The entire mass for the setup of vector C
was determined once the system reached to equilibrium.

The values for mass and angle for vectors A, B and C was recorded in Table 1.
The value for the mass and angle of vectors A and B was recorded in table 2 and mass
and x-component and y-component of vectors A and B using the formula given. Then,
the mass, force component, and angle for vector C was calculated.

The experimental results for mass and angle measure of vector C were compared
with analytical calculations and the percentage error was determined.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Data Table 1

Force Mass Force Angle x-component y-component

(kg) (N) (degrees) (N) (N)

F1 0.100 kg 0.98 N 60° - 0.49 N + 0.85 N

F2 0.100 kg 0.98 N 300° - 0.49 N - 0.85 N

R = F1 + F2 Resultant = - 0.98 N 0N

F3 0.100 kg 0.98 N Equilibrant = 0.98 N 0N

Calculated value of F3 (equilibrant) needed to balance the two forces F1 and F2

magnitude F3, calc = 0.98 N
direction θ 3, calc = 180°

Experimental value of F3 (equilibrant) needed to balance the two forces F1 and F2

magnitude F3, exp = 0.98 N
direction θ 3, exp = 180°

Percentage difference between calculated and experimental values of the magnitude of

F3
percent difference = 0 %

Percentage difference between calculated and experimental values of the magnitude of

θ3

percent difference = 0 %
 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Data Table 2

Force Mass Force Angle x-component y-component

(kg) (N) (degrees) (N) (N)

F1 0.100 kg 0.98 N 150° +0.85 N +0.49 N

F2 0.100 kg 0.98 N 300° −0.49 N −0.85 N

R = F1 + F2 Resultant = 0.36 N −0.36 N

F3 0.100 kg 0.98 N Equilibrant = −0.36 N 0.36 N

Calculated value of F3 (equilibrant) needed to balance the two forces F1 and F2

magnitude F3, calc = 0.98 N
direction θ 3, calc = 0°

Experimental values of F2 and F3

magnitude F2, exp = 0.98 N
direction θ 2, exp = 300°

magnitude F3, exp = 0.98 N

direction θ 3, exp = 0°

Percentage difference between calculated and experimental values of the magnitude of

F3
percent difference = 0 %
Percentage difference between calculated and experimental values of θ 3
percent difference = 0 %

Percentage difference between calculated and experimental values of the magnitude of

F3
percent difference = 0 %
Percentage difference between calculated and experimental values of θ 3
percent difference = 0 %
 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Force Diagram:

Table 1

Table 2
CONCLUSION

The vector force table could be compared to the graphical sketches drawn of
vectors A, B, and C on one graph. In the experiment, the resultant force was found by
adding weight on vector setup C until equilibrium was reached. Similarly, the angle of
vector C measured on the vector force table could be compared to the angle of vector C
calculated analytically.

The discrepancies between the graphical, experimental, and analytical results

are relatively minimal, the largest discrepancy existing between the calculations from
the analytical and graphical analysis. The analytical solution is the most accurate, as it
was calculated using vector formulas while the graphical approach involved drawing
free hand lines in the hopes that they were parallel to the original vectors.

Possible sources of errors include 1) The vector force table may not be on a flat
surface. 2) The pulley on the vector force table may not be horizontal. 3) friction in the
pulleys, 4) the fact that we ignored the mass of the strings, and 5) errors in direction of
the forces if the strings were not at 90 degrees to a tangent to the ring. 

If pulleys were not used, the error would have gone up because the surface the
strings would be hanging off of would have a lot more friction than a pulley, and with
more friction the more resistant the ring is to moving around, so the ring would still be
in the middle even if the forces aren't equal. 
APPENDICES

Data Table 1

F 1−60 °
F 2−300 °
F 1=m∙ a
F 1=m∙ g F 2=m∙ a
m F 2=m∙ g
F 1=(0.100 kg)(9.8 2
)
s m
F 2=(0.100 kg)(9.8 2
)
F 1=0.98 N s
F 2=0.98 N
F 1 x =−0.98 Ncos 60 °
F 1 x =−0.49 N F 2 x =−0.98 Nsin 30 °
F 2 x =−0.49 N
F 1 y =+0.98 Ncos 60°
F 1 y =+0.848 704 895 N F 2 y =−0.98 Ncos 30°

F 1 y =+0.85 N F 2 y =−0.848 704 895 N

F 2 y =−0.85 N

Resultant

R F x =F 1 x + F 2 x
R F x =(−0.49 N )+(−0.49 N)
R F x =−0.98 N

R F y =F1 y + F 2 y
R F y =(0.848 704 895 N )+(−0.848704 895 N )
R F y =0 N

F 3−Calculated value

F 3=m∙ g
m F Rx + F E=0 N
F 3=( 0.100 kg)(9.8 2
)
s −0.98 N + F E =0 N
F 3=0.98 N
F E =0 N +0.98 N
F E =F3 x
F 3 x =0.98 N
 F E =0 N +0 N
F E =F3 y
F Ry + F E=0 N F 3 y =0 N
0 N + F E =0 N

F 3−Experimental value

F 3=m∙ g
F3 F 3=m∙ g
m=
g m
F 3=( 0.100 kg)(9.8 )
m s2
0.98 kg 2
∨N
s F 3=0.98 N
m=
m
9.8 2
s
m=0.1 kg F 3 x =0.98 N

m=100 g F 3 y =0 N

Percent Difference

magnitude, F 3:

F3 , calc −F3 , exp

% difference= × 100 %
( F 3 ,calc + F 3 ,exp )
2
0.98 N−0.98 N
% difference= ×100 %
( 0.98 N−0.98 N )
2
% difference=0 %

direction, θ3 :

θ3, calc −θ3,exp

% difference= × 100 %
( θ3, calc −θ3,exp )
2
180 °−180 °
% difference= × 100 %
( 180 °−180 ° )
2
% difference=0 %
 APPENDICES

Data Table 2

F 1−60 ° F 2−300 °

F 1=m∙ a F 2=m∙ a

F 1=m∙ g F 2=m∙ g

m m
F 1=(0.100 kg)(9.8 ) F 2=(0.100 kg)(9.8 )
s2 s2
F 1=0.98 N F 2=0.98 N

F 1 x =+0.98 Nsin 60 ° F 2 x =−0.98 Nsin 30 °

F 1 x =+0.848 704 895 708 75 N F 2 x =−0.49 N

F 1 x =+0.85 N
F 2 y =−0.98 Ncos 30°

F 1 y =+0.98 Ncos 60° F 2 y =−0.848 704 895 708 75 N

F 1 y =+0.49 N F 2 y =−0.85 N

Resultant
R F x =F 1 x + F 2 x R F y =F1 y + F 2 y

R F x =( 0.85 N )+(−0.49 N ) R F y =(0.49 N )+(−0.85 N )

R F x =0.36 N R F y =−0.36 N

F 3−Calculated value

F 3=m∙ g F E =F3 x

m F 3 x =−0.36 N
F 3=( 0.100 kg)(9.8 )
s2
F 3=0.98 N
F Ry + F E=0 N

−0.36 N + F E =0 N
F Rx +F E=0 N
F E =0 N +0.36 N
0.36 N + F E =0 N
F E =F3 y
F E =0 N−0.36 N
F 3 y =0.36 N
F 3−Experimental value

F 3=m∙ g

F3 F 3=m∙ g
m=
g
m
F 3=( 0.100 kg)(9.8 )
m s2
0.98 kg 2
∨N
s
m= F 3=0.98 N
m
9.8 2
s
m=0.1 kg F 3 x =−0.36 N
m=100 g F 3 y =0.36 N

Percent Difference

magnitude, F 2:
F2 , calc −F 2 ,exp
% difference= × 100 %
( F 2 ,calc + F 2 ,exp )
2
0.98 N−0.98 N
% difference= ×100 %
( 0.98 N−0.98 N )
2
% difference=0 %

direction, θ2 :
θ2, calc −θ2,exp
% difference= × 100 %
( θ2, calc −θ2,exp )
2
300 °−300 °
% difference= × 100 %
( 300 °−300 ° )
2
% difference=0 %

magnitude, F 3:
F3 , calc −F3 , exp
% difference= × 100 %
( F 3 ,calc + F 3 ,exp )
2
0.98 N−0.98 N
% difference= ×100 %
( 0.98 N−0.98 N )
2
% difference=0 %
direction, θ3 :
θ3, calc −θ3,exp
% difference= × 100 %
( θ3, calc −θ3,exp )
2
0 °−0 °
% difference= ×100 %
( 0 °−0 ° )
2
% difference=0 %

DOCUMENTATION

Balancing Forces

The Equilibrium
REFERENCES

Retrieved October 13, 2022 from

https://www.studocu.com/en-us/document/howard-university/gen-phys-lec-rec-lab/
lab-report-of-vector-table/9617406
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www2.tntech.edu/
leap/murdock/books/v1chap1.pdf
https://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/physics/panvini/p110a/f02/
supp7.html#:~:text=Newton's%20Second%20Law%2C%20F%20%3D%20ma,forces
%20acting%20on%20an%20object.
https://sites.google.com/site/jackyzhangsphysicsgotyoumoved/force-table-lab