Finding the Resultant Force

The force acting on the object can be found separately in three different scenarios. That includes,

• Forces acting in the SAME Direction
• Forces acting in the OPPOSITE Direction
• Forces acting in ANGULAR Direction

Forces acting in the SAME Direction

If two forces acting on an object are in the same direction then the net force acting on the object is the sum of the individual forces. Suppose two forces acting on an object F₁ and F2 are in the same direction, their resultant force if 

F = F₁ + F₂

This situation is represented in the image shown below. Here the 2 N and the 4 N force is applied to a body in the same direction.

The resultant force applied = 4 N + 2 N = 6N

Forces acting in the OPPOSITE Direction

If two forces acting on an object are in the opposite direction then the net force acting on the object is the difference of the individual forces. Suppose two forces acting on an object F₁ and F₂ are in the opposite direction, their resultant force is 

F = F₁ – F₂

This situation is represented in the image shown below. Here the 2 N and the 4 N force is applied to a body in the opposite direction.

The resultant force applied = 4 N – 2 N = 2N

Forces acting in ANGULAR Direction

In both the above cases the force acting are parallel to each other. Now if two forces acting on an object are in the angular direction then the net force acting on the object can not be directly added or subtracted. It can be achieved by solving the given forces in their respective components and then simplifying them accordingly.

Suppose two forces acting on an object F₁ and F₂ have a 60-degree angle between them, 

This situation where the force is applied at an angle is represented in the image shown below, here 2 N and 4 N force is applied at an angle of 45 degrees. 

Then their resultant force is calculated as,

Taking the component of 2 N

Horizontal component = 2 cos 45° = 2 (1/√2)

Vertical component = 2 sin 45° = 2 (1/√2)

The force 4 N acts horizontally on the body.

Total horizontal force on the body (F_h) = 2 (1/√2)

Total vertical force on the body (F_v) = 2 (1/√2) + 4

Read More,

• Acceleration
• Velocity
• Distance and Displacement

Resultant Force is the total force acting on the body. It is defined as the sum of all forces acting on a body and it is the vector sum of all the forces acting on a body. The resultant force is measured in Newton which is the SI unit of force. If the resultant force acting on a body is zero then either it is in uniform motion or it is at rest.

The resultant force acting on an object can be visualized by the example, suppose a box is resting on a table and the force of 10 N is applied to it in the North direction and a force of 8 N is applied to it in the south direction then the resultant force acting on the body is in 2 N (10 N – 8 N). 

In this article, we will learn about, force, the resultant force, and the resultant force formula, its example, and others in detail. Now before learning about the resultant let’s learn about What is Force?