LAB ACTIVITY SHEET

Resultant-Equilibrant
Objective: Determine the resultant of concurrent vector forces

Materials:

2 spring balances Ruler

1 100-g mass Pencil and pen
2 iron stand Graphing paper
2 strong string Lab Activity Sheet
Protractor 3-5 pcs Short Bond Paper

Procedures:

1. Draw the setup of the 2 spring balances with a hanging mass prepared by the teacher in the
given box below.

2. Read spring balances B and C. Record also the weight of the hanging mass by multiplying its
mass to g = 9.8 m/s2. These are the magnitudes of the three concurrent force vectors acting on
the hanging mass (⃗ O X ,⃗
OY ,and ⃗OZ ,respectively). Record these values in Table 1 and Table 2.
3. Using a protractor, measure the angle ∠ YOX . This will help you to determine the directions of
force ⃗
OX .
4. Use the scale 1 N = 3 cm for the forces and write it in the space provided in the Table 1. And
draw the graphical solution to determine resultant vector of ⃗ OX ∧⃗ OY using parallelogram
method with their corresponding angles on forces ⃗ OX ,⃗OY ,and ⃗OZ ,respectively (as shown in
the given example figure)
5. Taking ⃗
OX ∧⃗ OY as the two forces to be resolved, solved the resultant of these two vectors using
component method. Record your answers in Table 1 and Table 2.
6. Compare the resultant solved graphically and analytically to the force ⃗OZ , which is the
equilibrant, by computing the percentage error. Record in Table 1 and Table 2.
 LAB ACTIVITY SHEET
Resultant-Equilibrant

Table 1
Graphical Solution (Parallelogram Method)

Scale: __________________

Force Force Resultant Equilibrant Percent

⃗
OX ⃗
OY ⃗
OX + ⃗
OY ⃗
OZ Error

Magnitude (N)

Polar-Cardinal
Direction

Graphical Solution:
 LAB ACTIVITY SHEET
Resultant-Equilibrant

Table 2
Analytical Solution (Component Method)

Force Magnitude (N) Polar-Cardinal X-Component Y-Component

Direction

⃗
OX

⃗
OY

⃗
OX + ⃗
OY

⃗
OX + ⃗
OY ⃗
OZ Percent
Error

Magnitude

Polar-Cardinal
Direction

Analytical Solution:
 LAB ACTIVITY SHEET
Resultant-Equilibrant

Question and Answer:

1. What is the equilibrant of the resultant of the forces ⃗

OX ∧⃗
OZ ? What is the equilibrant of the
resultant of the forces ⃗
OY ∧⃗ OZ ?

2. What is the resultant vector of the forces when added? Why?

3. Is the Equilibrant exactly the same as the resultant solved graphically? If no, enumerate the
factors that give the difference.

4. Is the Equilibrant exactly the same as the resultant solved analytically? If no, enumerate the
factors that give the difference.

5. If ⃗
OX ∧⃗OY are EXACTLY in the same directions, what would be their resultant? What would be
their equilibrant?

6. If ⃗
OX ∧⃗OY are EXACTLY in opposite directions, what would be their resultant? What would be
their equilibrant?
 LAB ACTIVITY SHEET
Resultant-Equilibrant

Conclusion: