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Experiment 2

Resultant and Equilibrant Forces

I. Abstract

Using a force table, we mounted a ring to serve as the object forces act on.
We then attached three strings around the ring and to each end of the strings
designated a pulley with corresponding weight holders situated in different
directions. We proceeded to balance the weights each weight holder had to
obtain equilibrium with the ring stable in the center and thereby obtaining a
specific magnitude and direction for each of the three concurrent forces. With
all three forces determined, we derived the experimental resultant forces by
computing for the negative vector of any one of the three forces given the two
other forces. Upon calculating the experimental resultant forces, we were able
to solve for their corresponding equilibrant forces by computing for the
negative vectors of the said resultant forces. Finally, we came up with the
computed resultant forces of the three given concurrent forces by using the
component method.

II. Guide Questions

1. Differentiate the resultant and the equilibrant of two forces.

2. If three concurrent forces are in equilibrium, what is the relation between

any one of the three forces and the resultant of the other two forces?

3. If two forces with the same magnitude were exactly in the same opposite
directions, what is the magnitude and direction of their resultant? What is
the magnitude and direction of their equilibrant?
 4. Use the component method to find the magnitude and direction of the
resultant of the following forces:

Given x-component y-component

A = 2000 N at 0 2000.00000 0.00000
B = 1500 N at 60 750.00000 1299.03811
C = 1000 N at 150 -866.02540 500.00000
D = 3800 N at 225 -2687.00577 -2687.99577
-803.03117 -887.96766

5. A body weighing 100 N is suspended by a rope. A second rope attached

to the body is drawn aside horizontally until the suspended rope makes an
angle of 30 with the vertical. Find the tension in each rope.

III. Answers to Guide Questions

1. A resultant force would cause a stationary object to start moving or an

object moving with a given velocity to speed up or slow down or change
direction such that the velocity of the object changes. It is usually
computed by the component method given two or more known forces. If a
resultant force acts on an object then that object can be brought into
equilibrium by applying an additional force that exactly balances this
resultant. Such a force is called the equilibrant force and is equal in
magnitude but opposite in direction to the original resultant force acting on
the object. Therefore, the equilibrant force is the negative vector of the
resultant force.

2. Any one of the three forces is the negative vector of the resultant of the
other two forces meaning they possess the same magnitude but are
opposite in direction and vice-versa.

3. If two forces are equal and directly opposite, then they entirely cancel
each other out. The result is zero force. In this case, the resultant and
equilibrant are both zero. In other words, the resultant and equilibrant are
the "zero vector."
 4. Resultant force = (-803.03117)2 + (-887.96766)2

= 1197.22413 N

= tan-1 | -887.96766/-803.03117|

= 47.9 ~ QIII = 47.9 + 180 = 227.9

5. Let the tension in the suspended rope be T1 & T2 in the horizontal rope.
By balancing the forces in x & y-axis,

Given x-component y-component

T1 = T1 at 120 T1cos120 = -0.5T1 T1sin120 = 0.86603T1
T2 = T2 at 0 T2cos0 = T2 T2sin0 = 0
Weight = 100 N 0 -100N

Fy = 0

T1sin120 + T2sin0 + -100N = 0

T1sin120 = 100N

T1 = 100N

sin120

= 115.47005 N

Fx=0

T1cos120 - T2cos0 + 0 = 0

T1cos120 = T2cos0

115.47005cos120 = T2cos0

T2 = 115.47005cos120

cos0

= 57.735025 N