Prelab: Addition of Vectors

Name: Date:
Group members: Instructor:

1. Add 3.00 cm at 180.◦ and 5.00 cm at 53.1◦ using the graphical method. Use the
space below to draw the vectors.

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2. Add 3.00 cm at 180.◦ and 5.00 cm at 53.1◦ again, but now using the component
method. Show all calculations below, and compute for the percent error of the
values measured in the previous item with respect to the calculated values.

3. A 1.00 N force is located at 30.0◦ , and another 1.00 N force is at 150.◦ . Determine
the magnitude and direction of the resultant and equilibrant forces.

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 EXPERIMENT
Addition of Vectors

Objectives

In this experiment, the student is expected to:

• show that the sum of forces acting on a system in static equilibrium is zero.
• obtain the equilibrant of two or more forces.
• obtain the orthogonal components of a force.

Introduction

Vectors
Many quantities in physics cannot be appropriately represented by just numbers. Quanti-
ties such as velocity, acceleration, and force, need to be represented with a direction. For
this purpose, we use vectors. Vectors are quantities with both magnitude and direction.
Vectors are usually represented by letters with an arrow on top, such as ~v , ~a, and
~
F . They can be expressed in words, such as five meters per second downward, or as a
magnitude with angular direction, such as 5 m/s, 37 o from the +x-axis.
When operating with vectors, most of the time it is more convenient to express it
using its component vectors. Using Cartesian coordinates, a vector can be divided into
its x- and y-components:

V~ = V~x + V~y
= Vx ı̂ + Vy ̂
= V cos θ ı̂ + V sin θ ̂

Addition of Vectors
Some vectors, when they are parallel to each other, are simple to add. We can add
5 m eastward and 2 m westward, knowing that they are opposite directions, by just
subtracting one from another. The result can easily be obtained as 3 m eastward.
However, when the vectors being added are no longer parallel, this method will not
work anymore. For these case, two methods are presented below, the graphical method
and the component method.

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Figure 1: A vector, V~ , with its x- and y-components.

Figure 2: Adding two parallel vectors.

Graphical Method In the graphical method of vector addition, vectors are graph-
ically represented as an arrow, with length proportional to the vector’s magnitude and
with orientation same with the vector’s direction. The arrow head it its terminal point,
and the other end is the initial point.
To add vectors using the graphical method, connect the initial and terminal points of
the vectors being added. After all the vectors being added are connected, draw a vector
from the initial point of the first vector to the terminal point of the last vector added.
This vector is the sum of all the vectors, called the resultant vector. The resultant’s
magnitude is determined by measuring its length, and its direction by measuring its
angular orientation. There’s no computation involved in the graphical method.

~ is the sum of the

Figure 3: Adding vectors using the graphical method. The resultant R
three other vectors.

Component Method To use the component method, vectors must first be ex-
pressed into component form. This can be done by calculating the sine and cosine of the
angular direction of the vector, and multiplying the result to the magnitude of the vector.
After obtaining the components of the vectors, just add separately the values per
component, similar to what is done for parallel vectors. As an example, vectors A ~ and B~
in component form are:

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Physics 71.1 Midyear, A.Y. 2018–2019

~ = Ax ı̂ + Ay ̂
A
= A cos θ ı̂ + A sin θ ̂
~ = Bx ı̂ + By ̂
B
= B cos θ ı̂ + B sin θ ̂

~ as:
Adding their components separately, we can get their resultant, R,

~ =A
R ~+B ~
= (Ax + Bx ) ı̂ + (Ay + By ) ̂

So, Rx = Ax + Bx and Ry = Ay + By . To obtain the resultant’s magnitude, the

Pythagorean theorem can be used:

q
~ =
|R| Rx2 + Ry2

And to obtain the angle, we can use:

 
Ry
θ = arctan
Rx

Equilibrium and the Equilibrant force

Forces are vectors. When the sum of all forces acting on an object is zero, the object is
said to be in a state of equilibrium. When an object is in equilibrium, it is assured that
it will not accelerate because all the forces are balanced. This can also be explained by
Newton’s second law:

X
F~net = F~i
i

= F~1 + F~2 + F~3 + ...

= m~a

When the sum of forces acting on an object is not zero, the object can be placed in
a state of equilibrium just by adding one more force. This force is called the equilibrant
force. The equilibrant force is equivalent to the resultant force of the other vectors, but
its direction is opposite it.

F~resultant = −F~equilibrant (1)

In this experiment, forces are studied through the use of the force table. When using
the force table, forces acting on a ring are represented by strings, whose direction or angle
can be easily measured using the markings on the force table. Read the angular position
directly above the string, to avoid parallax error. The string provides a tension whose
magnitude can be obtained from the weight connected to it.

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Figure 4: The force table.

Before using the force table, it must be first leveled. The bubble in the level must be
at the center when it is placed on top of the force table. If not, adjust the leveling screws
at the feet of the table.
All of the strings are tied to a ring located at the center of the force table. If the ring,
is in equilibrium, it must be able to stay at the center without the need to hold it. Set 0◦
as the x-axis, and 90◦ as the y-axis. All angles must be measured based on the +x-axis.

Materials

The following materials are required for the experiment:

• Force table with accompanying weights, hangers, pulleys, string, and ring

• Level

• Ruler

• Protractor

• Digital balance

Procedure

Equilibrant of one force

1. Attach a mass with a total of around 150 g (including its hanger) to a string, and
place it at 80◦ . Compute for its weight in newtons. This will be F~1 .

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2. Find the equilibrant force of F~1 by attaching another string with another set of
masses.

3. Write the angles and masses in Table W1.

Equilibrant of two forces

1. Attach a mass with a total of around 150 g (including its hanger) to a string, and
place it at 80◦ . Compute for its weight in newtons. This will be F~1 .

2. Attach another mass with a total of around 150 g (including its hanger) to a string,
and place it at 200◦ . Compute for its weight in newtons. This will be F~2 .

3. Find the equilibrant force of F~1 and F~2 by attaching another string with another
set of masses.

4. Record the angles and masses in Table W2.

Components of a force
1. Attach a mass with a total of around 150 g (including its hanger) to a string, and
place it at 220◦ . Compute for its weight in newtons. This will be F~1 .

2. To find the x- and y-components of F~1 , attach strings with masses at 0◦ and 90◦ .
Adjust the masses until it balances.

3. Complete Table W3.

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Midyear, A.Y. 2018–2019 Physics 71.1

Name: Date:
Group members: Instructor:

Data Sheet

Table W1: Equilibrant of one force

F~1 F~equilibrant
Magnitude (N) Angle (◦ ) Magnitude (N) Angle (◦ )
80◦

Table W2: Equilibrant of two forces

F~1 F~2 F~equilibrant

◦ ◦
Magnitude (N) Angle ( ) Magnitude (N) Angle ( ) Magnitude (N) Angle (◦ )
80◦ 200◦

Table W3: Components of a force

F~1 F~equilibrant,x F~equilibrant,y

◦
Magnitude (N) Angle ( ) Magnitude (N) Angle (◦ ) Magnitude (N) Angle (◦ )
220◦ 0◦ 90◦

Questions

1. Using the graphical method for F~1 and F~2 in Table W2, find the magnitude and
direction of the equilibrant force. Obtain the percent error from the value you wrote
in Table W2. Use 1 cm = 1 N as scale.

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2. Find the equilibrant force for the same vectors as the question above, except now,
use the component method. Obtain the percent error of the value you wrote in
Table W2.

3. Complete Table W4, using the values in Table W3. In computing for the theoretical
values, use the tabulated values of the magnitude and angle of F~1 .

Table W4: Comparison of the components of F~equilibrant

Experimental (N) Theoretical (N) Percent error

F~equilibrant,x
F~equilibrant,y

4. Give one advantage and one disadvantage for each of the two methods for adding
vectors.

5. Why is it important for the force table to be leveled?

Addition of Vectors 9