Neco 2018 Physics Question 2

A force table is set up with two known forces acting on a ring. The first force, \(F_{1}\), has a magnitude of 5.0 N and is applied along the horizontal (0°). The second force, \(F_{2}\), has a magnitude of 3.0 N and is applied at an angle of 60° measured anticlockwise from the horizontal. The resultant force is obtained experimentally by adding a third force until equilibrium is achieved. The experimental resultant recorded on the spring scale is 7.2 N acting at 32° from the horizontal. Answer the following: a) Resolve each of the two applied forces into horizontal (x) and vertical (y) components. b) Using the component method, calculate the analytical resultant magnitude and its direction. c) Determine the percentage difference between the analytical and experimental resultant magnitudes, and state the difference in direction (in degrees). d) Identify two possible sources of error in the experiment and suggest one precaution for each to minimise the error.