Lab report

Lab #2 The Addition and Resolution of Vectors: The Force Table Readings Before you begin this laboratory assignment, you should complete the homework assignments for this lesson and read chapter 3 sections 2. 4 of the textbook with emphases on. Objectives After completing this lab, you will be able to: 1. Add a set of vectors graphically to find the resultant. 2. Add a set of vectors analytically to find the resultant. 3. Appreciate the differences between graphical and analytical methods of vector addition. Introduction Physical quantities are generally classified as being scalar or vector quantities. The distinction is simple. A scalar quantity is one with a magnitude only for example, speed (55 mph) and time (3 hrs). A vector quantity on the other hand has both magnitude and direction. Such quantities include displacement, velocity, acceleration and force, for example, a velocity of 55 mph north or a force of 20 N along the +y axis. Because vectors have the property of direction, the common method of addition, scalar addition, is not applicable to vector quantities. To find the resultant or vector sum of two or more vectors, special methods of vector addition are used, which may be graphical and'or analytical. Two of these methods will be described, and we will investigate the addition of force vectors, The result of graphical and analytical methods will be compared with the experimental results obtained from the force table. The experimental arrangement of forces (vectors) will physically illustrate the principles of the methods of vector addition. R = A+B+C R, = A+ B G R R B A Triangle (Head to Tail) Method Vectors are represented graphically by arrows. The length of a vector arrow (drawn to scale on graph paper) is proportional to the magnitude of the vector, and the arrow points in the direction of the vector. The length scale is arbitrary and usually selected for convenience and so that the vector granh fits nicely on the granh naner A tunical scale for a force vector might he