Resolving the Force into Components

The x-component of a force $F$ can be calculated using the formula: $F_x = F \cdot \cos(\theta)$ where:

• $F$ is the magnitude of the force (900 N),
• $\theta$ is the angle the force makes with the horizontal (29.4°).

Substituting the given values: $F_x = 900 \cdot \cos(29.4^\circ)$

Let me compute this for you. math

Given values

F = 900 # Force in Newtons theta_deg = 29.4 # Angle in degrees

Convert angle to radians

theta_rad = math.radians(theta_deg)

Calculate the x-component

Fx = F * math.cos(theta_rad) FxThe x-component of the force is approximately:

$F_x = 784.1 \, \text{N}$

Would you like an explanation of the steps or further clarifications?

Here are five related questions to expand your understanding:

1. How do you calculate the y-component of the same force?
2. What is the resultant force if you combine this with another force acting vertically?
3. What would happen to the x-component if the angle $\theta$ increased?
4. How do you resolve forces when the force acts in the negative direction?
5. Why is it important to resolve forces into components in physics problems?

Tip: Always ensure you convert angles to radians when using trigonometric functions in calculations, as most programming languages use radians by default!