Question

An object with a mass of `4 kg` is acted on by two forces. The first is `F_1= < 3 N , -4 N>` and the second is `F_2 = < 2 N, 6 N>`. What is the object's rate and direction of acceleration?

Answer 1

Force being a vector quantity, the resultant force acting on the object is given by

`F = F_1+F_2 = <2N,6N>+<3N,-4N> = <5N,2N>`

So, the resultant force has a magnitude of `sqrt(5^2+2^2)N = sqrt29N`

So the magnitude of the acceleration is as `sqrt29/4 ms^-2`

And the direction is given as : `tantheta = 2/5` where `theta` is the angle the direction makes with the positive x-axis.