Resultant Force Definition

Resultant Force is defined as the resultant force acting on a body. Suppose we apply force on an object in all four directions, then the resultant force acting on the body is the result of all the force applied. We can better understand this concept by the example,

Suppose a block of mass 100 kg is placed on a rough horizontal surface and the maximum friction between the block and the rough surface is 500 N. Now suppose a man applies a force of 200 N to move an object on the rough surface, in this case, a force of 200 N acts opposite to the force applied by the man caused by the friction. Here, the resultant force (200 N – 200 N) acting on the object is zero and hence the object will not move.

Now, if we apply a force of 800 N to move the block then the friction force acting on the block will be at its maximum capacity (500 N) and the resultant force (800 N -500 N) acting on the block is, 300 N on the direction of the applied force.

If the force acting on the object is in a linear direction then it can be easily calculated by taking proper positive and negative signs but when the force acting on the object is perpendicular to each other then either we use Vector Addition or Pythagoras Theorem to find the resultant of the two forces.

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?