Final answer:
The magnitude of force can be determined using the Pythagorean theorem for component vectors or calculated using Newton's law of universal gravitation when dealing with gravitational forces, where the gravitational constant (G) plays a critical role.
Step-by-step explanation:
The magnitude of force (F) can be found by calculating the resultant of its components. Using the Pythagorean theorem, for a force with components of 1.20 N and 2.80 N, the magnitude would be F = √(1.20 N)² + (2.80 N)². After calculating, you get F = 3.05 N. This number represents the magnitude of the net force acting on an object in two dimensions.
Similarly, for a force with components of -14.4 and -9.6 (in scientific notation, these could be components of a larger or smaller magnitude given in terms of powers of ten), the magnitude would be F = √(-14.4)² + (−9.6)² × 10⁻¹⁵ N, which simplifies to F = 1.7 × 10⁻¹⁴N.
The gravitational force has a magnitude (F) that can be calculated using the formula involving G, the gravitational constant, which is 6.674 × 10⁻¹¹ N·m²/kg². The precise magnitude in such a case would depend on the product of the masses and the inverse square of the distance between them - following Newton's law of universal gravitation.