Physics for Engineers – Laboratory

Finding Resultant Vector

OBJECTIVE:

To determine the sum (resultant) of vectors

THEORY:

Vector, in PHYSICS, a quantity that has both magnitude and direction. It is typically represented by an arrow
whose direction is the same as that of the quantity and whose length is proportional to the quantity’s
magnitude. Although a vector has magnitude and direction, it does not have position. That is, as long as its
length is not changed, a vector is not altered if it is displaced parallel to itself.

To qualify as a vector, a quantity having magnitude and direction must also obey certain rules of
combination. One of these is vector addition, written symbolically as A + B = C (vectors are conventionally
written as boldface letters). Geometrically, the vector sum can be visualized by placing the tail of vector B
at the head of vector A and drawing vector C—starting from the tail of A and ending at the head of B—so
that it completes the triangle. If A, B, and C are vectors, it must be possible to perform the same operation
and achieve the same result (C) in reverse order, B + A = C.

PROCEDURE:

1. Go to: https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/vector-addition/latest/vector-addition_en.html
2. Click on Lab
3. On the upper right, check the tick box of the Values, angle and the grid to see more information
on the plane.
4. Drag an arrow (cyan colored) and place it on the plane. Place the tail of the arrow at the origin
and point the arrow to 90 degrees with arrow length of 15 units.
5. Drag another arrow, of the same color, and place its tail on the head of the first arrow. The length
of the second arrow must be 13 units.
6. Connect the tail of the first arrow to the head of the second arrow by dragging another
arrow,(orange). The “orange arrow will serve as the resultant vector or the sum of the two
arrows. Note that you also formed a right triangle.
7. You can use Pythagorean theorem to solve the hypothenuse. To solve its direction, you may use
tan Ø = 15/13

Part II
1. Drag these arrows to the plane…
a. 15.2 units @ 23.2 degrees
b. 12.2 units @ 145 degrees
c. 8.1 units @ -150.3 degrees
2. Make sure that you follow the” head-to-tail” sketching of those three vectors. That is – the tail
of the second vector must be drawn from the tail of the previous vector. Do the same for the
third vector, or until you draw all the given vectors.
3. To find the resultant vector. Connect the tail of the first vector to the head to the last vector
using the orange arrow. The orange arrow represents the resultant vector. The magnitude of the
resultant vector is 9.5 units with an angle of 108.4 degrees.
 NOTE: always use the standard angle and NOT THE NEGATIVE CO-TERMINAL angle for
the direction of the resultant vector. Standard angle is an angle when the initial side is
the +x axis and the terminal side was measured counter clockwise from the initial side.

(Students OUTPUT)

1. Drag 5 arrows, with random (desired) magnitude and direction, to the plane and find its
resultant vector.
MAGNITUDE DIRECTION
(Units) (standard angle)

Vector 1 12.5N 28.6 degrees

Vector 2 7.6N 66.8 degrees

Vector 3 10.2N 168.7 degrees

Vector 4 7.3N 196 degrees

Vector 5 10.6N 221.2 degrees

Resultant 12.5 151.4 degrees

Vector

SKECTCH (screenshot) of NUMBER 1:

2. Four unknown vectors were added and will yield a resultant vector located in the fourth
quadrant with unknown magnitude, estimate/predict all the unknown vector.
MAGNITUDE DIRECTION
(Units) (standard angle)

Vector 1 11.2N 169.7 degress

Vector 2 13.5N 48 degrees

Vector 3 16.8N 342.6 degrees

Vector 4 11N 270 degrees

Resultant 14.6 344.9 degrees

Vector

SKECTCH (screenshot) of NUMBER 2:

3. Utilize the FIVE vectors you have in number 1, Show that the resultant vector in number 1 is
correct by computing the resultant vector using COMPONENT METHOD. Insert solution below!