4.9 Resolving Vectors & Scale Drawings

Question 1

How do you draw ‘scale drawings’?

Answer 1

• Draw all the forces acting on an object, to scale ‘tip-to-tail’.
• Then draw a straight line from the start of the first force to the end of the last force - this is the resultant force
• Measure the length of the resultant force on the diagram to find the magnitude and measure the angle to find the direction of the force.

Question 2

If an object is in equilibrium, how should the scale drawing look like?

Answer 2

A square