ANALYSIS

The values of F4 and Ө4 obtained using the Force Table apparatus

during the two trials were very close to the values obtained using the
polygon and the component method, having percentage errors less than five
percent, as what is shown in the following tables.
TRIAL 1
ACTUAL R = F4 = 0.392 N ACTUAL Ө = 170°
computed Polygon percentage component percentage
values method error method error
(polygon) (polygon)
R 0.3773 N 3.75% 0.373781935 N 4.65%
Ө 169° 0.59% 170.13° 0.08%

TRIAL 2
ACTUAL R = F4 = 0.539 N ACTUAL Ө = 176°
computed Polygon percentage component percentage
values method error method error
(polygon) (polygon)
R 0.5653 N 4.55% 0.559922349 N 3.88%
Ө 178° 1.37% 177.62° 0.92%

This simply means that we got accurate values of F4 and Ө4, if not
only for some discrepancies such as the inaccurate placement of the strings,
the unavailability of masses less than five grams, or the table may not be
really that even. In the experiment, it is required that the ring is at the center,
to ensure that the resultant of the four vectors is equal to zero. Otherwise, F4
and Ө4 may have incorrect values, which will not result to a net force of
zero.
 Although the mass hangers have equal masses, they can’t be
disregarded from the experiment; so it was made sure that the masses
suspended on each hanger have masses five less than the required masses,
since the mass hanger is already weighing five grams itself. Hence, it is also
important to consider the mass of the hangers to obtain correct results.
There were some instances that the ring comes to the center, however,
when a pull is applied on the ring and then released, it sometimes fail to
return to the center. This may be due to a change in the placement of the
strings, since the strings are moved when the ring is pulled. The settling of
the ring at the center implies that the resultant of the forces is equal to zero.
It also indicates a state of equilibrium, where F4 is equal in magnitude and
opposite in direction to the resultant of the other three forces. For this
reason, it is clear that F4 and Ө4 entirely depends on the other three forces; it
is also what makes the resultant force equal to zero.
Another thing is, no matter how the order of adding the vectors is
changed, the resultant will always be the same, as long as the magnitudes
and the angles remain constant. Each order of operation yields a resultant
with the same magnitude and direction.

Because we have more than two vectors, it is appropriate to use either

the polygon method or the component method. Between these two methods,,
it is more efficient, practical, and convenient to use the polygon method
because in this method you just have to measure angles and draw vectors
with a specific scale. After which you will only have to connect the last and
first vector, to obtain the resultant. Besides, this kind of method requires less
time and effort, and provides a reliable resultant as long as the measurements
are done accurately. Also another thing is that this method does not require
much computations unlike the component method, where trigonometry is
used. However, when it comes to accuracy, it is more preferable to use the
component method although it requires more time doing a series of
computations, since there is no room for discrepancies in this type of
method. This is shown by the smaller values of percentage errors in the
component method compared to the polygon method.
 CONCLUSION

In solving for the resultant force of concurrent forces, a wide variety

of method can be chosen from, depending on the preference and the need for
accuracy or efficiency. It can be graphical, subdivided into the parallelogram
method and the polygon method, or the analytical method, which can either
be using the sine and cosine law or the component method. In the
experiment, two methods are used and compared to obtain the resultant
force, that is, the polygon method and the component method, provided that
there are more than two vectors. In the experiment, we were able to compare
between these two methods. By adjusting the F4 and Ө4 to make the ring
settle at the center, the condition of equilibrium was achieved; meaning to
say that the sum of all forces, or the resultant, is equal to zero. Aside from
these, we were also able to distinguish between scalar and vector quantities,
knowing that scalar quantities contain only magnitude while vectors contain
direction aside from having magnitude. The difference between the resultant
was demonstrated in the experiment, where the resultant is a trigonometric
function, usually using the Law of Cosines in two-dimensional solution by
vector resolution, of two or more known forces while equilibrant is equal in
magnitude to the resultant, it is in the opposite direction because it balances
the resultant. Therefore, the equilibrant is the negative of the resultant.