Question

A 5-newton force directed east and a 5-newton force directed north act concurrently on a point. The resultant of the two forces is:

1) 7N southwest
2) 5N southwest
3) 10N southwest
4) 7N northeast

Answer 1

Using the Pythagorean theorem, the magnitude of the resultant force of a 5N eastward and a 5N northward force is approximately 7N, and its direction is northeast.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student asked: A 5-newton force directed east and a 5-newton force directed north act concurrently on a point. The resultant of the two forces is. The subject of this question is Physics, and it's related to force diagrams and vector addition. To find the resultant force when two forces are acting at right angles to each other, we can use the Pythagorean theorem.

To find the magnitude of the resultant force, we calculate the square root of the sum of the squares of the individual forces: \( \sqrt{5^2 + 5^2} = \sqrt{25 + 25} = \sqrt{50} \approx 7.07 \) newtons. Since one force is directed east and the other north, the resultant force will have a direction that is northeast. Hence, the correct answer is 7N northeast.