Two forces have magnitude 10 and 15 N and point as shown in the diagram.What is the direction of a third force which would exactly balance these two forces? That is,make the sum of the three forces zero.Measure the direction counterclockwise from the 15 N force. A)240^o B)236^o C)60.0^o D)203^o E)214^o

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To balance the two given forces, the third force must be equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the resultant of the two given forces. 
Using the head-to-tail method, the resultant of the two given forces is:
- Starting from the tail of the 10N force, draw an arrow of length 15N in the direction of the 15N force. 
- The resultant is the arrow drawn from the tail of the 10N force to the head of the arrow just drawn.
To balance these two forces, the third force should be equal and opposite to this resultant, which means it should point in the opposite direction. 
Using the protractor provided, measuring the angle counterclockwise from the 15N force, we find that the angle is approximately 203°. So, the direction of the third force should be 203° in the clockwise direction from the 15N force, which is the same as 157° in the counterclockwise direction. 
Therefore, the correct answer is D) 203° counterclockwise from the 15 N force.

Two Forces Have Magnitude 10 and 15 N and Point