Vectors and statics - Lab Report Example

While addition of scalar quantities of the same nature such as mass, volume, temperature and speed is much simpler, addition of vector quantities poses some challenges since in their addition both direction and magnitude has to be taken into consideration. Addition of vectors is a critical exercise in classical physics since it is a unit of physics that deals with mostly moving objects. Motion is an effect of a resultant or net force applied on the body; that is a vector quantity. To find the net effect (force), all the forces acting on the body must be summed both in direction and magnitude.

There are also vector quantities that do not involve force. According to Newton’s first law of motion, a body moving in a straight line with constant velocity has zero net force applied to it. Such bodies do not accelerate and Newton’s static laws, which includes vector addition, applies to such bodies. In this experiment, a force table was used to set up the three forces. On the first pulley, a 50g weight was placed on the pan, and the angle was set at an angle of 30degrees and on the second pulley a mass of 100g was placed on the pan, and the pulley set at 130 degrees from a standard predefined axis.

The weight and angle of the third pulley were determined and recorded such that the ring at the center of the force table was balanced at the center. Errors on the measurement of third pulley was identified and recorded by adding multiples 1g of mass until the ring was off the center. The error on the measurement of the angle was also determined by carefully moving the pulley in one-degree angle increment; first to the right until the force table was off balance, then again to the left. An accurate diagram of a balanced force table was drawn to scale and used for the demonstration of the algebraic vector addition.

Data analysis. The results of the measurement of the third force is shown in the attached data sheet. A scale