Two forces having magnitude 3.5N and 5.5N are acting on a body. Which one of the following can not be the resultant of their possible sum:
Correct answer: A. 1.5N
- A. 1.5N
- B. 2.5N
- C. 4.5N
- D. 6.5N
Explanation
Since there are 2 forces, the minimum resultant force is when they are pointing in opposite directions i.e. they are at 180° to each other. In this case, the resultant force will be 5.5 - 3.5 = 2N. For the maximum resultant force, both forces must be pointing in the same direction i.e. 0° between each other. In this case, the resultant force will be 5.5 + 3.5 = 9N. Therefore, at any angle, the resultant force R will always be 2 ≤ R ≤ 9. Hence, A is correct since it falls outside this range.
This question appeared on the ETEA MDCAT 2005 paper, which you can sit online with every answer explained.
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Vector addition combines directed quantities using the head-to-tail, parallelogram and component methods. Work includes finding the resultant magnitude and direction for two or more vectors, resolving vectors into perpendicular components, and distinguishing vector addition from scalar addition, where direction has no role.
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