Cebu Institute of Technology-University

Cebu City

Cagot, Gerson Levi B. Physics 201 (7:30-10:30 Friday)

BSEE-II Section-M01

Vectors Graphical and Analytical Methods

Title

I. Objective:
To study vectors and to determine the resultant and equlibrant of any number of
forces both by the graphical and analytical method.

II. Apparatus and Materials:

A. Force Table, Set of weights, weight holders, force sensor, USB link, PC unit

B. Sketch
III. Data and Results:

Magnitude Direction Magnitude Direction

Part A

Parallelogram

Polygon 739 N 97 1.41 % 0.91 %

Cosine & Sine Law

Rectangular Result.

Experimental 749.46 N 97.89 0% 0%

Part B

Parallelogram

Polygon 610 N 184 0.21 % 0.17 %

Cosine & Sine Law

Rectangular Result.

Experimental 608.73 N 184.32 0% 0%

IV. Data Analysis
1. In this experiment, when equilibrium has been established with the ring in the
center of the table, you can find that the ring shifted horizontally a considerable
distance away from the center of the force table and still be in equilibrium. How
do you account for this fact?

2. How do you find the vector sum and vector difference of two vector quantities?
Sum all the first elements to get the first element of the result; Sum all the second
elements to get the second element of the result. The vector sum is obtained by
adding the two quantities. The vector difference is obtained by subtracting one
from the other.

V. Generalization:
There are many methods we can use to add vector quantities. Graphically, we can
use the parallelogram method and polygon method. Analytically, the law of sine,
law of cosine, and component method can be used. These different methods can
give us different answers depending on the way we handle them. If we use the
correct and exact ways to add the vectors, may it be graphically or analytically, we
can rest assured that we will get the same or maybe close answers.

Using the graphic method we can rapidly solve problems involving the equilibrium
of a particle, in which the vector sum of the forces acting on the particle must be
equal to zero. While the graphical method has lower accuracy than analytical
methods, it is a way of getting a feel for the relative magnitude and direction of the
forces. It can also solve the problem of the ambiguity of the direction of a force
where the analytical method uses an arctangent to determine direction, which gives
angles in the range 90to +90
VI. Conclusion
Questions:

1. Which do you think is more accurate, graphical method or analytical method?

For me analytical method is more accurate than graphical method since it
2. Suppose that we weight holders in this experiment all have the same weights, may
their weights be neglected?
3. State the two conditions of equilibrium for a body acted upon by concurrent forces.
4. A spelunker is surveying a cave. He follows a passage 100 meters straight east,
then 50 meters on a direction 30 west of north, then 150meters at 45 west of
south. After a fourth unknown displacement he finds himself back where he
started. Determine the magnitude and direction of the fourth displacement.
5. A sailboat sails 2.0 km. East, then 4.0 km. southeast, and a additional distance in an
unknown direction. Its final position is 6.0 km directly east of the starting point.
Find the magnitude and direction of the third leg of the journey.