Two forces of equal magnitude simultaneously act at a point. It is observed that the resultant force is equal in magnitude to the individual forces. Which of the following statements is/are correct? I. The angle between one of the individual forces and the resultant force is π/3. II. The angle between the individual forces is 2π/3.

Question

Accepted Answer

Both I and II. Two equal forces combine using the standard law of vector addition. By symmetry, the resultant bisects the angle between the two forces. Balancing components along the resultant gives 2F cos(x) = F, where F is each force. So cos(x) = 1/2, which means x equals 60 degrees, or π/3. This x is the angle between the resultant and each force, so Statement I is correct. The full angle between the two forces is then 2x, or 120 degrees (2π/3), matching Statement II. Both statements hold, so the correct option is (c). So option (c) is correct.

Keep practicing

Beyond the answer

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Discover more from MCQ Questions