Experiment 2: Resultant and Equilibrant Forces
Albances, Loren Joy R., *Alli, Vincent Ezequiel R., Alonzo, Angela Wilma G., Artillera, Erika Krisha O., Balonzo,
Mikaela Angela, Barandon, Eloisa Lorraine V.
2C-PHARMACY
ABSTRACT
Resultant and equilibrant forces show the relationship
on how scalars and vectors are involved in the
experiment. The experiment performed by the group
showed the difference between the experimental and
equilibrant forces using the force table and the
computed resultant forces using trigonometric
calculations. Other materials used such as the pan and
the washer also contributed to determine the
magnitude and equilibrant force respectively. The
result showed that the experimental resultant forces
were close to the computed resultant force.
Key methods: Forces, Scalars, Vectors
I. INTRODUCTION
Force is an interaction between two objects. It is a
vector quantity and comprises direction and
magnitude. It is measured using a standard metric
known as Newton. There are three methods used in
adding vectors: The polygon method and the
parallelogram method which uses graph and the
component method which uses calculation. For this
experiment, the group used the component method to
add the forces present in the force table. The force
table is an apparatus that will be used to mimic the
quadrants and to identify the group of vectors that
will cancel each other. It uses strings that will be
attached to the washer which is placed on the center
of the force table. It has three pulleys where the
strings were placed. The strings will be used to hold
the pan with weights that the group will need to
balance and should be placed in the right direction so
that the group will accomplished the purpose of the
experiment which is having equilibrium for all the
forces present and be able to have the same values of
computed resultant and the experimental resultant.
II. THEORY
Resultant of number of forces acting on a body is a
single force which produces the same effect on the
body the same way it is produced by all the forces
acting together. An equilibrant of number of forces
on the other hand, acts on a body in a single force
which cancels the effect of resultant of a system of
forces or which brings the system and the body is
equilibrium. A force is an example of a vector
quantity. This quantity involves magnitude and
direction. During the experiment, magnitude and
direction is a fundamental in determining the
resultant and equilibrant forces.
Furthermore, there are methods to determine the
force and that is by using the vector addition.
Polygon method (1) is adding of two vectors A and B
by drawing the arrows which represent the vectors in
such a way that the initial point of B is on the
terminal point of A. The resultant C = A + B, is the
vector from the initial point of A to the terminal point
of B. The parallelogram method (2) for vector
addition, the vectors are translated, (i.e., moved) to a
common origin.
(1)
(2)
In the component method, a coordinate system is
selected in adding two or more forces. In the
experiment, the component method is used to
calculate for a certain force. The formulas used are
for computing the magnitude, direction, x- and y-
coordinates (3) and the resultant which uses the IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Pythagorean Theorem (4).

(3)
Individual Resultant
(4) ; Forces Forces
Experimental
Fi Magnitu Direct- Ri Magnitude Direction
III. METHODOLOGY de ion
F1 0.95N 136.2 Fa 0.65N 47
The materials used in this experiment are the force F2 1.04N 355 Fb 0.95N 316.2
table, thread and weights. The first step would be F2 1.04N 355 Fc 1.04N 175
weighing in the weights and the pans of the force F3 0.65N 227
F1 0.95N 136.2
table. After that, the thread will be attached into a
F3 0.65N 227
pulley and will be used to hold the weight of the pan
with weights. Then the group should be able to align
the ring of the force table into the center by rotating
the pulley to get the right direction of the balanced Equilibrant (Experim Resultant Forces (Computed)
weights. If the ring is already aligned in the center, Forces ental
read the direction in which the thread was aligned in Ei Magnit Direct-ion Ri Magnitude Direction
the force table and start to compute the magnitude of ude
the weights and the pan. To compute the magnitude, FA 0.65N 227 Fa 0.67N 58.45
convert the total weight (gram) of the pan with FB 0.95N 136.2 Fb 0.83N 316.47
FC 1.04N 355 Fc 1.14N 170.95
weights to kilogram then multiply it to 9.8 m/s. To
get the equilibrant, just copy the magnitude and
direction of the vector that was not asked. This can It is observed that the experimental resultant forces
only be done, if the weights are balanced and in their and computed resultant forces have values which are
right direction. For the resultant, copy the magnitude seemingly close with one another. Experimental
of the equilibrant and change the direction by adding resultant forces make use with the force table while
or subtracting 180 in the direction of the equilibrant. computed resultant forces make use with
To calculate for the computed resultant, copy the trigonometric calculations.
magnitude and direction of the vectors asked then
calculate for the horizontal component by using this V. CONCLUSION
equation: Fx: Fcos and the vertical component, Fy:
Fsin. To compute for the sum of the horizontal The findings of the experiment showed that the
components, add all the x components, same will be experimental resultant forces were close to the
done for the sum of the y components. To calculate computed resultant forces. Several factors were faced
for the magnitude, the group will need the equation: during the experiment leading to less accurate results.
|R| = (X) + (Y), then to get the direction the The environment itself became a factor leading to
equation needed will be: = tan-(Fy/Fx). unstable reading of the direction. The pulley when
too greasy or lacked greased leads to inaccurate
readings in the magnitude of the washers. The student
may misread the direction of the forces leading to
another inaccurate result. Despite of all the factors,
the group met the objectives in finding the best
resultant and equilibrant forces of the experiment.

VI. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to express our sincerest gratitude to

Mr. Justin Mesias and Mr. Kristan Simbulan for
giving us enough knowledge to complete our
experiment. To the group itself that gave all their
effort to have accurate results and make a well
researched report. Most importantly, to the Almighty
God who is behind the success of this experiment.
This would not have been possible without the help
and guide of each and one of you.

Post Lab Answers:

1. Resultant force is the single force that produces the

same effect of an object as two or more forces are
applied to the object. On the other hand, equilibrant
force is the force that acts on a body at rest and
counteracts the force pushing or pulling the body in
opposite direction. The resultant of two forces are
calculated by adding all the vectors in the given while
the equilibrant force is obtained by getting the
negative vector of the resultant force.

2. If three concurrent forces are in equilibrium, the

relation between one of the forces would be the
negative vector of the resultant of the other two
forces. They have the same magnitude but is opposite
in direction.

3. If two forces with the same magnitude but were

exactly in opposite directions, the magnitude of the
resultant would be 0 N and it will have no direction
since the forces cancel each other out. Furthermore,
the magnitude and direction of the equilibrium would
also be 0 N and has no direction since no value can
be acquired from the resultant vector.
4.
5.
VII. REFERENCES

[1] Resultant Force: Definition & Formula.

(n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2017, from
http://study.com/academy/lesson/resultant-
force-definition-formula.html

[2] What is an equilibrant force? (n.d.).

Retrieved February 12, 2017, from
https://www.reference.com/science/equilibra
nt-force-8a5bfa009635b4be