2.

34
A surveyor measures the location of point A
and determines rOA = 400i+800j (m). He
wants to determine the location of a point B
so that |rAB| - 400 m and |rOA + rAB| = 1200 m.
What are the Cartesian coordinates of point B.

The x and y components of rAB can be found from the two equations for the magnitude.
x 2 y 2 400 m

400 m x

800 m y 1200 m
2

Expand the second equation and use the first equation for the x2 and y2.

400 800 x x 2 800 1600 y y 2 1200

2
2
2
2
400 800 x 800 1600 y 400 1200
2

800 x 1600 y 480000 x 2 y 600

Substitute back into the first equation and solve for y and back substitute into x = 600-2y

600 2 y

y 2 400

5 y 2 2400 y 200000 0 y 2 480 y 40000 0

480

480

4 40000

372.66 m, 107.34 m
2
x, y 145.32 m, 372.66 m or 385.32 m, 107.34 m
The location of the total x and y components by adding 400 m to the x component and
800 m to the y component, therefore Point B is either (254.68 m, 1172.66 m)

or (785.32 m, 907.34 m)

2.46
Four groups engage in a tug-of-war. The
magnitude of the forces exerted by
groups B, C, and D are |FB| = 800-lb, |FC|
= 1000-lb, and |FD| = 900-lb. If the
vector sum of the four forces equals
zero, what is the magnitude of FA and
the angle .

The problem has fours forces look at the sum of the forces in the x and y direction
FR F

FRx Fx FAx +FBx +FCx +FDx

0 FAcos 800 lb cos 70o 1000 lb cos 30o 900 lb cos 20o

FAcos 1438.13 lb

FRy Fy FAy +FBy +FCy +FDy

0 FAsin 800 lb sin 70o 1000 lb sin 30o 900 lb sin 20 o

FAsin 943.94 lb
Find the angle by using arctan of the two forces and the force by taking the square the
cosine and sine terms
FAcos 1438.13 lb
FAsin 943.94 lb

FAsin

943.94 lb
o
tan -1

33.3

1438.13 lb
FAcos

tan -1
FA

1438.13 lb

943.94 lb 1720.24 lb
2

2.54
The cables A, B, and C help support a
pillar that forms part of the supports of
a structure. The magnitudes of the
forces exerted by the cable are equal: |
FA| = |FB| = |FC|. The magnitude of the
vector sum of the three forces is 200kN. What is |FA|?

You will need to determine the angle of A, B and C and find x and y components using a
constant |F| for each of the forces
6 m
o
56.31
4 m

A tan 1

6 m
o
36.87
8 m
6 m
o
C tan 1
26.57
12 m
FR F

B tan 1

FRx Fx FAx +FBx +FCx

FA cos 56.31o FB cos 36.87o FC cos 26.57o

2.249 F

FRy Fy FAy +FBy +FCy

FA sin 56.31o FB sin 36.87o FC sin 26.57o

1.879 F

The magnitude of the force is

FR

2.249

1.879

F 2.931 F

2.931 F 200 kN F 68.2 kN

Therefore, FA = 68.2 kN