Question

Five Boys are pushing a snowball, and each is pushing with a force of 10.0N. However, each boy is pushing in a different direction. They are pushing north, northeast, east, southeast, and south. (Each boy is pushing at an angle of 45.0 degrees relative to his neighbor.) What is the total push on the ball? Help Please!

Answer 1

add them as vectors,

Notice two of them are equal and opposite, so the net is zero.

Notice the two at 45 deg to S, and N. The opposite components are equal and opposite, the other componsnts, net force East at a force 2*10*.707N

the last boy is pushing East with force 10 N.

Total force: 10+14.14 N East.

Answer 2

F1 = 10N[0o].
F2 = 10N[45o].
F3 = 10N[90o].
F4 = 10N[270o].
F5 = 10N[315o].

X = 10*cos0+10cos45+10cos90+10cos270+10
cos315=10 + 7.07 + 0 + 0 + 7.07=24.14 N.

Y = 10sin0+10sin45+10sin90+10sin270+10
sin270+10sin315 = 0 + 7.07 + 10 - 10 -
7.07 = 0 N.

F = X + Yi = 24.14 + 0 = 24.14 N.=Total
Push.