Question

Resultant of two equal forces may have the magnitude equal to one of the forces. At what angle between the two equal forces is this possible? Justify your answer.

A) 30 degrees
B) 45 degrees
C) 60 degrees
D) 90 degrees

Answer 1

The angle between two equal forces at which their resultant magnitude can be equal to one of the forces is 45 degrees (B).

Step-by-step explanation:

The angle between two equal forces at which their resultant magnitude can be equal to one of the forces is 45 degrees (B).

When two equal forces are applied at a 45-degree angle to each other, the magnitudes of the forces are added vectorially to form the resultant force. In this case, the resultant force would have the same magnitude as one of the equal forces.

For example, if the magnitude of each force is 10 Newtons, the resultant force would also be 10 Newtons. The angle can be found using the cosine rule or by drawing a diagram to visualize the vectors.