PHYS 151L Bjorn Janssen

Your Name: ____________

Lab #4 Lab Partner: ____________
Fall 2020 Lab Day & Date: 9/17/2020
____________

VECTOR ADDITION
Question: When an object is pushed several ways at once, what is the net effect?
Apparatus: Grid paper, ruler, protractor, and/or virtual simulation links.
In mechanics, we think of “force” as a push or a pull. A scientific definition will be discussed
later in lecture, and the effects that forces produce on motion will be a major topic of this course.
The unit of force in the SI system is the Newton (abbreviation N). For purposes of this exercise,
we will be concerned with the way that different forces combine to produce a total force.

Pre-Lab Work
1. Add the following two vectors algebraically: u = (1, 2), v = (2, −5)
#1
#1 #2 Ux + Vx = Rx
1+2 =3

Uy + Vy = Ry
2+-5 = -3
R
(3, -3) =R
U #2
V Ux + Vx = Rx
3+-1 =2
U Uy + Vy = Ry
-5+7 =2

(2, 2) =R

1
#6
#6
Ux + Wx = Xx
1+2 =3
U Uy + Wy = Xy
X -2+-2 = -4

V X (3, -4) =X

W V+X = 0
V+X=0
(-3,4) + (3, -4) = 0

The sum of the

three vectors
vanishes

#3 #3

U+V=R

R R = (2,2)

(2,2) ≠ (-1,-1)

U
2. Using the grid above draw the two vectors described in #1. Use an appropriate scale.
*See above (Labeled #2)
Use the same grid for #3 and #6 here. Use an appropriate scale for your purpose here.

3. Draw the two vectors u = (3, −5), v = (−1, 7) and graphically check if their sum points in the
same direction as the vector w = (−1, −1). For online version use the Phet link:
https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/vector-addition/latest/vector-addition_en.html
Their sum points are not in the same direction as the vector (-1, -1).

*See above (Labeled #3)

4. Split the three vectors below into the two given
components (x, y) and add them up:
A = (-4, 4)
B = (10, 4)
C = (-6, -11)
A
-4, 4
B (10, 4)
R = (0, -3)
R
(0, -3)

(-6, -11) C

5. Does the sum of the five forces F1, . . . , F5 below vanish? Show your calculation to justify
your answer.
F1 = (1, 2, 3) N, F2 = (1, 0, −5) N, F3 = (0, −3, 7) N, F4 = (−3, 1, 0) N, F5 = (1, 0, 0) N
x y z
F1 1 2 3 The x and y components do, while the z component =5
F2 1 0 -5
F3 0 -3 7
F4 -3 1 0
F5 1 0 0
0 0 5
6. Show graphically that the sum of the three vectors u = (1, −2), v = (−3, 4), w = (2, −2)
vanishes. Use the grid attached on Page 1.
*See above (Graph)
(Labeled #6)

7. Does the sum of the following three vectors vanish within uncertainty?
u = (10 ± 1, −5 ± 1), v = (−13 ± 1, 7 ± 1), w = (7 ± 1, −3 ± 1)
10 1 -5 1
-13 1 7 1 (4±3, -1±3)
7 1 -3 1 2
4 ± 3 -1 ± 3
Part 1
Example - A sailboat in a lake is pushed northeast by the wind and east by the lake current, as in
Figure 1. These forces are indicated in the figure by arrows. The total force on the boat will be
directed somewhere between these two. In fact, we can find exactly what is the effect of the
combined forces by a technique shown in figure 2.

Force of wind
on sails

North

Force of
current on
boat East

Figure 1: two forces on a sailboat:

Note that the two forces are drawn
from a common point.

Figure 2: Finding the total

force on the sailboat by the
parallelogram method.

In Figure 2 we have drawn a parallelogram whose sides are parallel to the two forces. The
diagonal of this parallelogram (drawn from the same common point) is the total force acting
on the boat. The length of the vector represents the total amount of force (magnitude) on the
boat and the direction the vector points is the direction of that total force. Whenever two
forces act on the same object, the total force can be found this way. The total force is
sometimes called the resultant of the other two.

3
1. Using graph paper, a ruler, and a protractor draw a vector diagram, like the one shown above,
that will help you find the resultant force on the boat by the parallelogram method (For
online version use the link Phet Simulation: https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/vector-
addition/latest/vector-addition_en.html. For this problem use the following information: now
the wind pushes the boat with a force of 1,000N (use 22.0 N for simulation version) at an
angle of 600 (use 59.90 for simulation) north of east while the current pushes the boat with a
force of 600N (use 13.0 N for simulation) at an angle of 450 (use 32.50 for simulation) south
of east or you can pick your own measurements for forces of Wind and Current and their
angles but you need to attach your screenshot or drawings in the lab report here.

First pick a scale for the length of the vectors to adequately represent the forces given. Your
scale should be set up so that the vector diagram takes up most of the graph paper. Be sure to
write your scale (with units!) on the diagram and label the vectors.
scale with units complete

Using the ruler and the scale you picked, find (a) the magnitude of the resultant force in
Newton and (b) give its direction by measuring its angle, with the protractor, north of east or
south of east. Label these on the diagram as well.
completed

Part 2
Another way to use the parallelogram rule is to draw the forces in sequence, the tail of one force
lying on the head of the other, as shown in Figure 3

Figure 3: Drawing the forces

head-to-tail. The resultant
force can be drawn from the
tail of the first force to the
head of the second.

Example - Suppose the sailboat we have been considering has an outboard motor. The boat is
acted on by the forces of wind (W), lake current (C), and the current produced by the propeller
(P). These forces are drawn head-to-tail in figure 4B.

4
 Resultant

Figure 4A: Three forces acting Figure 4B: The three forces drawn
on a boat head-to-tail

1. Sketch the resultant of the three forces in figure 4B. (Sketch this directly on Figure 4B
above)

2. Fill in the below chart, specifying whether the three forces on the boat in Figure 4A have
components that are positive, negative, or zero.

Force East component North component

W Positive 0
P Positive Positive
C Negative Positive

3. Use the head-to-tail method, as shown in the previous example, to find the resultant force
acting on the box with 3 forces acting on it as shown below. Draw and label the head-to-tail
solution and the resultant in the space next to the figure 4C below.

F1 F1
F2 F3

Resultant
Figure 4C F2

F3

5
4. Consider the figure here with vectors 𝑎⃗, ⃗𝑏,
⃗⃗ and 𝑐⃗. The tails of the vectors supposed to be at a
common point as shown in the Figure 4C above, but for the visual purpose the tails are drawn
at different points, it does not affect properties of the vectors though. (a) Using the graphical
method for adding vectors find the magnitude and direction of the resultant 𝑅⃗⃗ of the three
vectors. (b) Verify your results mathematically.

Magnitude: Direction:
a+b 90deg N
15+-10 = 5
15+-10 = 5
ab = (5,5)

ab+c
5+-5 =0
15,15 5+5 = 10
Σ(0,10)
-5,5
(0, 10), 90 N°

-10,-10

6
Part 3
Applying the parallelogram rule directly can become tedious, especially if more than two forces
are involved. Fortunately, the parallelogram rule can be used indirectly to simplify these
calculations, using the method of components.

The component of a force in a given direction is the projection of that force onto a straight line in

that direction. You can visualize the components clearly by selecting a vector and
mode in the Phet link. A component is considered positive if, when the force is drawn with its
tail at the coordinate origin, the component lies along the positive direction of the axis. For
example, the force denoted by F below has the component Fx in the x direction and Fy in the y
direction.

Figure 5: Fx and Fy are the x and y

components of a particular force. For
this force, the x-component is
negative and the y-component is
positive.

By Pythagoras’s theorem, the magnitude of the force in figure 5 is given by

magnitude of F  Fx2  Fy2

5. A force has an x-component of 30 N and a y-component of -50 N. Carefully draw these

components and the vector on a separate piece of graph paper (or use Phet link
https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/vector-addition/latest/vector-addition_en.html for online
platform). Be sure to pick a new scale for these vectors that enables you to draw a full-size
diagram or allows you to reduce the size. Using direct measurement (ruler and protractor),
determine the angle this force makes with the positive x-axis and the magnitude of this force.
Label these on the diagram. Show how to verify these measurements mathematically below:

R² = Rx² + Ry² θ = tan⁻¹(Ry/Rx)

θ = tan⁻¹(-50/30) = -59°
R = Rx² + Ry²

R = - 30N²+(-)50N² = 58.3N θ = -59°

7

58.3N, 59°S of E
 -59°
36°
 Now use another piece of graph paper (use the same Phet link again:
https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/vector-addition/latest/vector-addition_en.html) and direct
measurement to find the x-component and y-component of a 180 N (use 350 N for online)
force vector that makes a 150° (use 149° for online) angle with the positive x-axis. Label
these on your new diagram as well. Show how to verify these measurements mathematically
below:
R = Rx² + Ry² Rx = -156N
180 = (cos150 = x/180) + (sin150 = x/180) Ry = 90 N
180 = -156² + 90²
See graph above
180 = 6 901 ; 180N =180N
The Component Rule for Adding Vectors allows us to add multiple vectors together
mathematically as well as graphically. It tells us that one can add vectors together by
determining their components and then adding their corresponding components together. The
resulting components are the components of the resultant vector.

6. A sailboat is acted on by a wind force of 340N directed 40 south of east and a current force
of 210N directed 35 south of west (for online format use this: A sailboat is acted on by a
wind force of 640N directed 38.7o south of east and a current force of 420N directed 45o
south of west).

Pick an appropriate scale and make a full-size vector diagram. Find the components of the
wind & the current. Draw and label these components on the diagram. Show how to use the
components you found and the Component Rule for Adding Vectors to find:
Rx = Ax + Bx Ry = Ay +By
a. The east component of the resultant force. 340*cos(320) = 260N 340*Sin(320) = -219N
40° S of E = 320° 210*cos(215) = -172N 210*Sin(215) = -120N
(360° -40°)
35° S of W= 215° Rx = 260 +(-172) Ry = -219 + (-120)
(180°+35°)
Rx = 88N Ry = -339N

(88, -339)
b. The north component of the resultant force.
Using these results, draw the resultant force vector. Determine the measure of the resultant
force and its direction. Label these on the diagram.
R = Rx² + Ry² θ = tan⁻¹(Ry/Rx) R = 350N 75° S of E
θ = tan⁻¹(-339/88) = -75°
R = 88² +(-139)

R = 350N θ = -75°
Verify these results mathematically on your diagram.

*see above

8
 Scale:
1 = 20N

-180 -160 -140 -120 -100 -80 -60 -40 -20 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260

35° 40°
-20
75°
-40

-60
B = 210N

-80

-100 A = 340N

-120

-140

-160

-180
R = 350N
-200
Ry =-339N
-220

-240

-260

-280

-300

-320

-340
Rx = 88N
Part 4:
Finally, let’s have some fun using an online Physics Lab: http://ophysics.com/k3b.html this site
is about interactive physics simulations for the vector addition and subtraction.
Run the link. Practice adding the two vectors u and v as shown on the left panel of the site’s
page. Please spend 10 minutes for this practice. At the end of 10 minutes please screenshot your
page with the correct and incorrect answers. Attach the screenshot here with this lab report.

Conclusion:
This lab primarily explored vector addition. Determining the magnitude and direction of
combined vectors has helped me to better understand how this process actually works.
The equations used for finding these angles and magnitudes have now been thoroughly
used. The visual element of this lab has allowed me to visualize the trigonometry that's
being used for the calculations