Equilibrium Lab

Christopher Coble
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Purpose; The purpose of this lab experiment was to find the equilibrant force through performing

vector addition, using trigonometric rules, and by finding the equilibrium force through the process of a

manual lab.

Materials;

 Force Table

 Four pulleys

 Four plastic hangers (5 grams each)

 Weight set (5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 grams)

 String

 Plastic Ring

Procedure; Note; when adding the weight, please be sure to consider the weight of the mass

hanger!

1. Attach the four pulleys to the force table. (Do not over tighten, since over tightening may

damage the pulleys). Keep them loose enough to the point where the pulley may still slide while

on the force table.

2. Tie three strings onto the plastic ring in the center of the force table. Attach the other end of the

strings to the plastic hanger and hang each string over an individual pulley. Make sure that the

string is long enough to allow the string to slide around. Also, make sure that the string does not

touch the table.

3. Given two forces, F1 = .075kg x g N at 120۫ and F2 =.05 kg x g N at 45۫ Find the sum of the forces in

the X and Y coordinates, and the resultant force of these two forces.

4. Repeat step three for F1 =.1 Kg x g N at 20۫ and F2 = .05 Kg x g N @ 150۫۫.

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5. Repeat step three for F1 =.2 Kg x g N at 0۫ and F2 = .15 Kg x g N @ 90۫۫.

6. Given a force which is F1 = .15 Kg x g N at 70۫, solve for the x and y components using the law of

sines and cosines, by solving for the components graphically, and experimentally.

7. Add the three vectors, F1= .05 kg x g N @ 30۫ ,F2= .075 kg x g N at 80۫۫, F3= .125Kg x g N at 225۫ to

find ∑F= F1+F 2+ F 3 using the

a. Analytical (trig identity method)

b. Graphical method

c. Experimentally (with a force table- Add another pulley, weight hanger, and string in

order to effectively conduct this portion of the lab.)

Data;

Step 3- Components/ Vector Addition

X-Components Y-Components
.73575Ncos (120۫)= -.36788N .73575Nsin(120۫)= .63717N
.4905Ncos(45۫)=.34684N .4905Nsin(45۫)= .34684N
∑X-Components= -.02N ∑Y-Components= .98365N
Resultant=√(∑X-Components)^2+(∑Y-Components)^2)= .984N @91.2۫

Equilibrant Force= .984N @271.2۫

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Step 3 Graph
1.5

1
F1
0.5 F2
Resultant
∑Fy(N)

0 Linear (Resultant)
-0.03 -0.02 -0.01 0 0.01 0.02 0.03 Equilibrant
-0.5 Linear (Equilibrant)
-1

-1.5
∑Fx (N)

Step 4- Components/ Vector Addition

X-Components Y-Components
.981Ncos (20۫)= .922N .981Nsin(20۫)= .3355N
.73575Ncos(150۫)= -.6372N .73575Nsin(150۫)= .2679N
∑X-Components= .285N ∑Y-Components=.6034N
Resultant=√(∑X-Components)^2+(∑Y-Components)^2)= .667N @64.72۫

Equilibrant Force= .667N @244.72۫

Step 4 Graph
0.8
0.6
0.4 F1
F2
0.2
Resultant
∑Fy

0 Linear (Resultant)
-0.4 -0.3 -0.2 -0.1
-0.2 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 Equilibrium Force
Linear (Equilibrium Force)
-0.4
-0.6
-0.8
∑Fx

Step 5- Components/ Vector Addition

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X-Components Y-Components
1.962Ncos (0۫)= 1.962N 1.962Nsin(0۫)= 0N
1.4715Ncos(90۫)= 0N 1.4715Nsin(90۫)= 1.4715N
∑X-Components= 1.962N ∑Y-Components=1.4715N
Resultant=√(∑X-Components)^2+(∑Y-Components)^2)= 2.4525N @36.87۫

Equilibrant Force= 2.4525N @216.87۫

Step 5 Graph
2

1.5
F1
1 F2
0.5 Resultant
Linear (Resultant)
0 Equilibrium
-2.5 -2 -1.5 -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 Linear (Equilibrium)
-0.5

-1

-1.5

-2

Step 6- Components/ Vector Addition

X-Components Y-Components
1.4715Ncos(70۫)= 0.503N 1.4715Nsin(70۫)= 1.3828N
∑X-Components= 0.503N ∑Y-Components=1.3828N
Resultant=√(∑X-Components)^2+(∑Y-Components)^2)= 1.4715N @70۫

Equilibrant Force= 1.4715N @250۫

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1.5

0.5
F1, Step 6
Linear (F1, Step 6)
0
Equilibrant of F1
-0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0 0.2 0.4 0.6
Linear (Equilibrant of F1)
-0.5

-1

-1.5

-2

Step 7- Components/ Vector Addition

X-Components Y-Components
.4905Ncos (30۫)= .425N .4905Nsin(30۫)= .2453N
.73575Ncos(80۫)= .128N .73573Nsin (80۫) =. 725N
1.226Ncos(225۫)= -.867N 1.226Nsin(225۫)= -.867N
∑X-Components= -.314N ∑Y-Components=.103N
Resultant=√(∑X-Components)^2+(∑Y-Components)^2)=.33N @161.84۫

Equilibrant Force= .33N @341.84۫

Step 7 Graph
0.15

0.1 F1
F2
0.05
F3
∑Fy

0 Resultant
-0.4 -0.3 -0.2 -0.1 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 Linear (Resultant)
-0.05 Equilibrant
Linear (Equilibrant)
-0.1

-0.15
∑Fx
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Data Analysis; Based upon the data presented above, it can be seen that vector addition is the simplest

method to use to find the resultant and equilibrium force. The equilibrium force is of the same

magnitude as the resultant, but is in the opposite direction (+/- 180) than the resultant. The graphs

serve to prove how effective the vector addition process is by allowing the experiment’s conductor to

plot all the points using the Microsoft Excel program to convey the magnitude and direction of the

resultant and to have a rough estimate of where the equilibrium should be for the actual experiment.

The graphs also serve to show a projection/ image of the forces acting in different directions on top of

the force table while the experiment was being conducted in order to give the reader an image of how it

is that the forces acted when set at different angles, and to explain the reason why the resultants were

of the magnitude and direction shown by the sum of the vectors. The graphs also serve to explain

visually to the reader why it is that the force of equilibrium is in the opposite direction of the resultant;

to ensure that all possible accelerations which would cause a force upon the system of masses are

neutralized (sum up to zero) to prevent any force from acting upon the other forces, thus making the

total sum of the forces (which is ∑F= ma) equal zero.

Regardless of the great data results given by the experiment, however, there were still, as always,

margins of error that kept our experiment from being a perfect equilibrium experiment. The following

percent errors are the result of the friction on top of the pulleys and some minor mathematical

inaccuracies which were, nonetheless, immediately fixed.

Step three percent errors;

% error for mass= ((.1003-.1)/.1003)x100= .3% error for the masses

% error for the degree of the resultant and equilibrium values= ((91.2-91)/91) x 100= .22%

Step 4 % errors;
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% error for mass= ((.067-.068)/.067)x100= .4% error for the masses

% error for the degree of the resultant and equilibrium values= ((64.72-65)/64.72) x 100=. 01%

Step 5 % errors;

% error for mass= ((.25-.25)/.25)x100= 0% error for the masses

% error for the degree of the resultant and equilibrium values= ((36.87-37)/36.87) x 100= .35%

Step 6 % errors;

% error for mass= ((.15-.15)/.15)x100= 0% error for the masses

% error for the degree of the resultant and equilibrium values= ((70-70)/70) x 100= 0%

Step 7 % errors;

% error for mass= ((.0336-.035)/.0336)x100=3% error for the masses

% error for the degree of the resultant and equilibrium values= ((161.84-160)/161.84) x 100= 1.14%

Conclusion; Unfortunately for my group and I, Physics in actuality tends to have many things act

upon one object at one time which keeps many great laboratory experiments and reports like this one

from achieving perfection. One of those factors was, regardless of the fact that it was considered

negligible, the force of friction upon the pulleys. Since this was not taken into consideration, the data

was slightly affected and my group was kept from achieving a perfect laboratory experiment. Another
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factor that affected our lab was the inaccuracy in some of the data written while the experiment was

being conducted. Although these problems were immediately fixed, they still played a significant enough

factor to have caused a difference between the experimental and theoretical values of our resultants

and equilibrium mass and direction values.