The resultant force is described as the total amount of force acting on the object or body along with the direction of the body. The resultant force is zero when the object is at rest or it is traveling with the same velocity as the object. The resultant force should be equal for all the force since all the force is acting in the same direction.
Formula of Resultant Force
If one force is acting perpendicular to another, the resultant force is determined by using the Pythagorean theorem. The Resultant force formula is given by,
FR = F1 + F2 + F3
Where
F1, F2, F3 are the three forces acting in the same direction on an object.
Solved Example of Resultant Force
Example 1
Determine the FR when three forces such as 80 N, 100 N, and 30 N are acting on an object simultaneously and 30 N force is opposite to the other two forces.
Solution:
Given:
F1 = 80 N
F2 = 100 N
F3 = -30 N
F3 is a negative value because it is acting opposite to the other two force
The formula for resultant force is
FR = F1+F2+F3
FR = 80 + 100 – 30
FR = 150 N
