College of Sciences

Department of Applied Physics and Astronomy

LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS IN
PHYSICS (1)

VECTORS

STUDENT LAB REPORT

Student name: Ismail Ali Abdulrazzaq ID:- U23104507

Partner’s name: Karem Mohammad AlSahen ID:- U23106174

Partner’s name: Mogammad Taulgah Regal ID:- U23105108

Partner’s name: Mohamed Ahmed Ali Hassan ID:- U22200318

Section ( 01T ) Group ( 8 )

Physics 1 Lab. Exp. Vectors Spring 2022-2023

DATA ANALYSIS:

PART I: THE RESULTANT OF ADDING TWO FORCES (VECTORS).

1- EXPERIMENTAL METHOD

a) Make sure that the top surface of the force table is horizontal and the rod in the center
of table is at the center of the ring when the two hangers are at zero and 180° scale.

b) With the first hanger on θ1 scale slot any mass on it then find F1.

c) Add a mass to the second hanger and find F2, then move it by means of its clamp and

fix it at θ2 scale of the table.

d) Find the force that is added to the third hanger to balance the above two forces. This
force is known as FE.
e) Find the resultant force FR (magnitude and direction), Where FR=FE. ΘR= θE +180
f) Record your data in table 1a in your lab report. for masses and F1 , F2, FE , FR , θ.

Table (1a)

Force Mass (kg) Force (N) Direction (degree)

F1 0.055 kg 0.55 N 30
F2 0.065 kg 0.65 N 90
FE 0.104 kg 1.04 N 243
FR 0.104 kg 1.04 N 63

2- ANALYTICAL METHOD
a) Write the magnitude and direction of F 1 and F 2 and their direction in table (1b).
b) Calculate the components of the two forces F1x, F1y, F2x, and F2y.
c) Use the analytical method, calculate the resultant force FR and θR.
d) Show your results in table (1b).
Table (1b)

Magnitude Direction
Force (N) x-component y-component
(N) (degree)
F1 0.55 N 30 0.48 N 0.28 N
F2 0.65 N 90 0 N 0.65 N
FR 1.05 N 62.7 0.48 N 0.93 N

e) Calculate the percentage error of FR (compare between analytical and experimental values of FR)

Physics 1 Lab. Exp. Vectors Spring 2022-2023

 Percentage of error for the magnitude: 0.95%. Percentage of error for the angle: 0.48%

3- Graphical Method.
a- Use the graph paper to draw forces F 1 and F 2 , then find the resultant force FR and its
direction.
b- Attach the graph to your lab report.
c- Compare your results with analytical values.

Physics 1 Lab. Exp. Vectors Spring 2022-2023

PART II: THE RESULTANT OF ADDING THREE FORCES (VECTORS).

1- EXPERIMENTAL METHOD.
a) Choose three slotted masses m1, m2, m3 with their direction on the force table.
b) In order to make the system at equilibrium, an equilibrant force ⃗
F E should be applied, find the
magnitude and direction of ⃗
F E.
c) Find the magnitude and the direction of resultant force FR where FR=FE, and =θR =θE+180
d) Fill your measurements and results in table (2b).

Table (2a)

Direction
Force Mass (kg) Force (N)
(degree)
F1 0.055 kg 0.55 N 30
F2 0.065 kg 0.65 N 90
F3 0.045 kg 0.45 N 140
FE 0.122 kg 1.22 N 263
FR 0.122 kg 1.22 N 83

2- ANALYTICAL METHOD
a) Write the magnitude and direction of F 1, F 2, F 3 and their direction in table (2b).
b) Calculate the components of three forces F1x, F1y, F2x F2y, F3x, and F3y.
c) Use the analytical method, Calculate the Resultant force FR and θR.
d) Show your results in table (2b).

Table (2b)

Magnitude Direction
Force (N) x-component y-component
(N) (degree)
F1 0.55 N 30 0.48 N 0.28 N

F2 0.65 N 90 0N 0.65 N
F3 0.45 N 140 -0.34 N 0.29 N
FR 1.23 N 83 0.14 N 1.22 N

e) Calculate the percentage error of FR (compare between analytical and experimental values)

Percentage error for the magnitude: 0.82% Percentage error for the angle: 0%.

Physics 1 Lab. Exp. Vectors Spring 2022-2023

Questions:
1- What is the difference between vector and scalar quantity? Give an example of both.

Scalar quantities are quantities that require magnitude only to be described, like mass. Vector quantities are
quantities that require magnitude and direction to be described, like Velocity.

2- Classify each of the following physical quantities as vectors or scalars:

quantity quantity
volume Scalar speed Scalar
velocity Vector density Scalar
mass Scalar acceleration Vector
distance Scalar weight Vector

3- What are the conditions of equilibrium for given forces?

For equilibrium to happen, the net force acting on an object has to equal zero. Then, if the object isn’t
moving, it will experience a static equilibrium, and if the object is moving, it will experience a dynamic
equilibrium where their velocity remains constant.

4- What are the conditions for the two vectors to be equal?

They need to have the same magnitude and the same direction (same angle with respect to a specific axis)

5- Two forces, one of 2N and the other of magnitude 3N, are applied to the ring of a force table. The
direction of both forces are unknown. Which best describes the limitations on, the magnitude of
resultant
a) F R ≤ 5 N b) 2 N ≤ F R ≤ 3 N c) F R ≥ 3 N d) 1 N ≤ F R ≤ 5 N e) F R ≤ 2 N
6- Which of the following graphs represents a resultant force of zero value acting on the same point of
the object: why?

Physics 1 Lab. Exp. Vectors Spring 2022-2023

The resultant vector is drawn from the tail of the first vector to the tip of the last vector, and only d gives a
zero vector as the tip of the last vector and the tail of the first vector are in the same place. (Option d is a
closed loop with each vector’s tip on the other’s tail.)

Conclusion:

What we have learned and done was finding the resultant vector. We have done that, with force, which is a
vector quantity, in 3 methods: Experimental, Analytical and graphical methods. We used the force table along
with some pullies and masses hanging from it in the experimental method to calculate the resultant force.

Assuming the analytical method gives the real values, then we had these results for the resultant vector:

For part I:

Analytical: 1.05 N directed at 62.7o.

Experimental: 1.04 N directed at 63o (percentage error: 0.95% and 0.47% respectively).

Graphical: 1.04 N directed at 62o (percentage error: 0.95% and 1.12% respectively).

For part II:

Analytical: 1.23 N directed at 83o.

Experimental: 1.22 N directed at 83o (percentage error: 0.82% and 0% respectively).

It can be said that some sources for error were the approximation done by our bare eyes to whether the ring
on the force table was exactly in the middle or not. It might be off the center for some millimeters that we
couldn’t observe. Also, it is a sure thing that random error was present in the experiment.

Physics 1 Lab. Exp. Vectors Spring 2022-2023