PHYSICS · Multi-part · A Level · Physics · Mechanics and materials · Mechanics and materials
Problem
During a laboratory investigation, a student group is asked to determine the resultant displacement between their classroom and the school’s main entrance. They are given three displacement vectors measured with a tape measure and a compass:
• Vector A: magnitude 22.0 m directed 35° north of east
• Vector B: magnitude 15.0 m due west
• Vector C: magnitude 18.0 m directed 20° south of east
The group decides to compare two different techniques to obtain the resultant: drawing the vectors tip-to-tail to scale on graph paper and calculating the resultant using trigonometric component analysis.
(a) Describe the procedural steps the students should follow to express each of the three given displacement vectors in terms of perpendicular components.
(b) Explain two advantages that the component (analytical) method offers over the scaled-diagram method when determining a resultant displacement.
(c) Identify and discuss one possible source of error that could cause the graphical (scaled-diagram) method to yield a different resultant than the component calculation, even when both are performed carefully.