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(Finding the resultant of two forces meeting at a point analytically
Let the two forces F 1 and F 2 meet at 0 and a is the measure
of the angle between the directions of the two forces. as shown
in the figure.
If OA and OB represent the two forces F 1 and F 2 , then OC represents
the resultant R and the measure of the angle between R and F 1 is 8.
From our study of finding the resultant of two vectors and the cosine law in
trigonometry and taking care that F 1 , F 2 and Rare the magnitudes of F 1 , F 2 and R
respectively , then we get :
.
:
~----------------------------------------------------------------·
--. 1 F2 sin a
.
: R = v(F 1) + (F 2) + 2F 1F 2 cos a ,tan e =
2 2
.
:------------------------------------------------ - -~ ~ -~:. ~ ~~s- ~ - .•:

(Special cases J
(1) If the two forces have the same line of action and the same direction (a= 0) 'then :
~--------------~

(_~-~ -~:-~-~-~ _) 0

and R has the same line of action and direction of the two forces

(2) If the two forces have the same line of action but in opposite 0

directions (a= 180°) , then : (- ~-~-~- ~_1_ :-:_~~J_)

and R has the same line of action and acts in the direction of the great force.

(3) If the two forces are perpendicular (a= 90°), then:

(- -- --~ --~ - ----;--------------F;--1
: R
•
= F 1 + F 2 and tan 8 =-F
1
:
•
~-----------------------------------~:
(4) If the two forces are equal in magnitude (F 1 =F 2 =F) , then :
: ~----------------------------~
a a ·
: R = 2 F cos - , 8 = - :
~- . . . . . . . . . . . -.. . . -.. . . -.. ?. . . -.. -.. . . . ~--- ,:
i.e. R bisects the angle between the two forces .
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(1) If: F1 > F2 , then: the smallest possible value of the resultant of the two forces is F1 - F2
arid the greatest possible value of the resultant of the two forces is F 1 + F 2
i.e. The resultant E (F 1 - F2 ' F 1 + F2]
(2) If the resultant is perpendicular to the first force then e = 90°
:. cot e = zero
. . F 1 + F2 cos a = O
:. F 1 + F2 cos a= 0
F2 sin a
(3) If the two forces are equal in magnitude and have the same line of action but in the
__,_
opposite sides, then R = 0
i.e. the resultant = zero vector.

[ ExAMplE B
Two forces of magnitudes 5 newton and 3 netwon act at a point and include an
angle of measure 60°. Find their resultant in magnitude and direction analytically.

[ SoluTioN ~ ·

·: R =1 F 1
2
+ F/ + 2Fl 2 cos a
:. R =125 + 9 + 2 x 5 x 3 x cos 60° = 7 newton
F2 sin a
.: tan e = ----=---- ... tan 9 = sin 6oo = 3 313
Fl + F2 cos a 5 + 3 cos 60° 13
:.9:::::21°47
:. The magnitude of R is 7 newton and include an angle of measure 21 o 47 approximatly
with the first force.

[ ExAMplE D
Two perpendicular forces act at a point such that F 1 6 newton and F2 = =2.5 newton.
Find their resultant in magnitude and find its direction.

[SoluTioN ~
:. R =1 (6) + (2.5? = 6.5 Newton
2

F2 2.5
·: tan9=p- :. tan e = 6
l

:. The magnitude of R is 6.5 newton and include an angle of measure 22° 37 approximatly
with the first force.
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[ ExAMplE
Two forces of magnitudes 50 newton and 100 newton act at a point. Their resultant
is perpendicular to the first force. Find the measure of the angle included between
the two forces and the magnitude of the resultant.

r SoluTiON }
F 1 =50 newton , F 2 = 100 newton
·: The resultant is perpendicular to the first force
:. F 1 + F 2 cos a = 0 :. 50 + 100 cos a = 0
. --50- 1 :. a= 120°
.. cos a- 100 - -2

·: R =1 (FY + (F) + 2(F )(F cos a 2

1 2)

:. R =1 (50?+ (100? + 2 50x 100 cos 120° = 50'{3 newton

X

[ ExAMplE D
Two forces act at a point. The greatest value of their resultant =32 kg.wt. and the
smallest value of their resultant is 12 kg.wt. Find the magnitude of each of them , then
find the magnitude of their resultant if the measure of the included angle between
them is 60°.

[ SoluTioN }
Let the great force = F 1 and the small force = F2
:. F 1 + F 2 = 32 (1) , F 1 - F 2 = 12 (2)
From (1) and (2): F 1 = 22 kg.wt. and F 2 = 10 kg.wt.

If: a= 60° , then R =1 (22? + (lo? + 2 x 22 x 10 cos 60° :::::28 kg.wt.

[ ExAMplE D
Two forces are equal in magnitude. The magnitude of their resultant is 701{3 newton
and the measure of the angle between them is 60°. Find the magnitude of each of
the two forces.

[ SoluTioN }
·:The two forces are equal in magnitude
:.R=2Fcosa :.70V=2Fcos30° :. F = 70 newton
2
:. The two forces are 70 netwon and 70 netwon.
19
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ExAMplE
Two forces of magnitude 6 and F kg.wt. act at a particle such that the measure of
the angle between them is 135°.
Find the magnitude of their resultant if the line of action of the resultant inclines
by an angle of measure 45° with the force F.

[SoluTioN }
F sin a
·: tan 8 =- -1
---
F2 + F 1 cos a
where 8 is the measure of the angle between the resultant and the force F

:. tan 45
0

= F +6 6sincos135°
135
0
:. 1 = F-3V
:. F = 6V kg.wt.
:. R =1 (F + (F ? + 2F F cos a
1)
2
2 1 2

=1 (6? + (6f2) + 2 x 6 x 6f2cos 135' =6 kg.wt.

2

[ExAMplE j:J
Two forces acting at a point. If their magnitudes are 4F and 3F. Find the measure
of the angle between them if the magnitude of the resultant is F. fl3
[SoluTioN }
·: R2 = (F 1) 2 + (F2 ) 2 + 2 (F 1) (F2) cos a

:. (fl3 FY=(4 F) 2
+ (3 F) 2 + 2 x 4 F x 3 F x cos a
:. 13 F2 = 16 F2 + 9 F2 + 24 F2 cos a
- 12 F2 1
:. - 12 F 2 = 24 F2 cos a :. cos a = 24 Fz =-2
:. oc = 120°

[ExAMplE )#j
Two forces of magnitudes 5 and 51{2 kg.wt. act at a point.
The first towards East, the second is towards western north. Prove that the
magnitude of the resultant =the magnitude of the first force and find the measure
of the angles which the resultant makes with each of the two forces.

20
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[SoluTioN ~
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F 1 = 5 kg.wt. , F 2 = s-{2 kg.wt.

from the figure a = 13SO
·: R =1 (Fl + (F)2 + 2F 1F 2 cos a
:. R =12s +so+ 2 x s x sf2 x cos 135°
South
F2 sin a
:. R = 5 kg.wt. = F 1 ,._. tan 8 = ----"--- - -
F1 + F 2 cos a
:. tan 8 = 5V sin 135° = 5 :. cot 8 =zero
5 + 5Vcos 135° zero
:. 8 = 90° :. R is perpendicular to F 1
i.e. towards north and makes an angle of measure 135°-90° = 45° with F 2

[ ExAMplE m
If the force of magnitude 20 kg.wt. is the magnitude of the resultant of two
perpendicular forces, the magnitude of one of them is three forths of the other.
Find the magnitude of each of the two forces. and find the measure of the angle
included between their directions if the magnitude of their resultant is 41{13 kg.wt.

[SoluTioN ~
In the irrst case :
Let the magnitude of one of the two forces is F
.·. The magnitude of the other force is ~ F
' ·: R = 20 kg.wt. , a= 90°

·: R2 = Ff + Fi :. 400 = p2 + {6 p2
. . i~ F =4oo 2
:. F2 = 256 :. F = 16 kg.wt .
.·.The magnitude of one of the two forces is 16 kg.wt
and the magnitude of the other is 12 kg.wt.
In the second case :
F 1 = 16 kg.wt. , F 2 = 12 kg.wt. , R = 41{13 kg.wt.

·: R 2 = (F 1) 2 + (F2) 2 + 2F 1.F2 cos a

:. ( 41[13 y= 256 + 144 + 2 X 16 X 12 X COS a

:. 208 = 400 + 384 cos a :. 384 cos a=- 192
:. cos a=-~ :. a= 120°

21
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Two forces of magnitude F 1 and F 2

If the two forces are perpendicular, then the magnitude of their resultant = 2 dyne. f37
and if the included angle between their directions is 60° in measure, then the
magnitude of their resultant = 2-{43 dyne.
Find the magnitude of each of the two forces F 1 and F 2 , then fmd also the greatest
and the smallest resultants of these two forces.

[SoluTioN ~
First:
:. R =Ff+F~
2
·. · The two forces are perpendicular
:. (2f37Y =CF1)2+CF2)2 :. Ff+F~= 148 (1)

Second:
·:a= 60° :. R 2 = Ff + F~ + 2 F 1F2 cos a
:. (2-f43Y =F~+F~+2F 1 F2 cos60° :. Ff+F~+F 1 F2 = 172 (2)
subtracting (1) from (2) : :. F 1F 2 = 24 , (3)
24
from (3) : :. F 2 = substituting in (1)
PI
576
:. (F 1) + -
2
2
PI
= 148 ·: F{ + 576 = 148 Ff
:. (F 1)4 - 148 Ff + 576 = 0 :. (Ff - 144) (Ff- 4) = 0
:. Ff = 144 :. F 1 = 12 dyne and from 3
2
F2 = 2 dyne or (F 1) = 4 :. F 1 = 2 dyne , then F2 = 12 dyne
:. The magnitudes of the two forces are 12 dyne and 2 dyne.
Third:
The greatest value of their resultant= 12 + 2 = 14 dyne when the two forces have the
same line of action and the same direction.
i.e. a= oo
The smallest value of the resultant= 12- 2 = 10 dyne when the two forces haves the
same line of action but in the opposite sides
i.e. a= 180°

[ EXAMpl£ )fd
Two forces of magnitude 7 kg.wt. and F kg.wt. act at a particle and the measure of
the included angle between their directions is 120°
If the magnitude of their resultant is 71{3 kg.wt.
Find the value ofF and the measure of the angle which the resultant makes with
the first force.

22
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[SoluTioN ~
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2 2 2
··R
. -F
- 1 +F2 +2FF
1 2 cosa

:. ( 7V y= (7) + F + 2
2 2
X 7 X F cos 120°

:. 147=49+F2 -7F :. F2 - 7 F- 98 =0
:. (F - 14) (F + 7) =0 :. F = 14 kg.wt
F2 sin a
·:tan e = -----=----- . e 14 sin 120° 7"{3
Fl +F 2 cos a · · tan = 7 + 14 cos 120° = zero

:. cote= zero :. e = 90°

[ ExAMplE 1f1
ABCD is a square. M is its center.
Two forces of magnitudes 9and 9V newton act at M in the directions of ME and MB
respectively where E is the midpoint of AD
Find the magnitude and the direction of the resultant.

[ SoluTioN ~
F 1 = 9 newton. , F 2 = 9V newton. and a = 135°
·: R =1 (F ? + (F ? + 2 F x F cos a
1 2 1 2

:. R = ~81 + 162 + 2 x 9 x 9V x cos 135o = 9 newton

:. tan 8 = F + F cos a
F 2 sin a
:. tan e =
9V. . ,.-;:;sin 135o
1 2 9 +9 v 2 cos 135°
9
·:tan e = -- :. cote= zero
zero

:. e = 90°
:. The resultant R is of magnitude= 9 newton and is acting at Min the direction perpendicular
toAB

23