Neco 2022 Physics Question 2

A force‑table experiment is set up to combine two forces. - Force \(F_{1}\) has a magnitude of 5.0 N and is applied along the 0° direction (positive x‑axis). - Force \(F_{2}\) has a magnitude of 8.0 N and is applied at an angle of 60° measured anticlockwise from the positive x‑axis. The resultant force is measured with a spring balance and found to be 10.2 N acting at an angle of 38° from the positive x‑axis. Answer the following: (a) Using the component method, calculate the theoretical magnitude and direction of the resultant of \(F_{1}\) and \(F_{2}\). (b) Compare the theoretical resultant with the measured resultant. Compute the percentage difference in magnitude and the difference in direction. (c) Discuss two possible reasons for the discrepancy and suggest one method to improve the accuracy of the experiment.