Two forces of 3 N and 4 N act at right angles to each other. The magnitude of their resultant is
Correct answer: B. 5 N
- A. 1 N
- B. 5 N
- C. 7 N
- D. 12 N
Explanation
For perpendicular vectors the resultant is the square root of (3 squared plus 4 squared), which is the square root of 25, giving 5 N. Adding the magnitudes to get 7 N would only be correct if the forces acted in the same direction, and 1 N is the result if they were exactly opposed. Every answer between 1 N and 7 N is possible depending on the angle.
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About Addition of Vectors
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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