Question

Find magnitude and direction of the resultant force?

A force F1 of 12 newtons pulls due north. A force F2 of 5 newtons pulls due east. Find the magnitude and direction of the resultant force.

Answer 1

magnitude: `13` Newtons

direction: `67.38` degrees north of east

Explanation:

The Pythagorean Theorem can be used to find the magnitude of the resultant force of two forces that are perpendicular to each other:
magnitude:

`sqrt(12^{2} + 5^{2}) =`
`sqrt(144 + 25) =`
`sqrt(169) =`
`13` Newtons

Trigonometry can be used to find the direction of the resultant force:
direction:

`arctan(frac{12}{5}) approx`
`67.38` degrees north of east