Question

A force of 125 N is exerted 30° north of east. How would you calculate the eastward component of this force?

A. Since we know the hypotenuse and want to calculate the opposite side of the given angle, we use the sine function.

B. Since we know the length of the adjacent side of the given angle and want to calculate the opposite side of the given angle, we use the cosine function.

C. Since we know the hypotenuse and want to calculate the opposite side of the given angle, we use the tangent function.

D. Since we know the hypotenuse and want to calculate the adjacent side of the given angle, we use the cosine function.

Answer 1

To calculate the eastward component of the force, we need to determine the adjacent side (the eastward component) of the right triangle formed by the force's direction and its components, where the hypotenuse is the total force (125 N) and the angle is 30° north of east.

The correct option is:

**D. Since we know the hypotenuse and want to calculate the adjacent side of the given angle, we use the cosine function.**

To calculate the eastward component (F_east), you would use the cosine function as follows:

\[ F_{\text{east}} = F \cdot \cos(\theta) = 125 \, \text{N} \cdot \cos(30°) \]

Calculating this gives you the eastward component of the force.