Question Video: Finding the Maximum Value of the Resultant of Two Coplanar Forces Acting Together Mathematics • Second Year of Secondary School

Video Transcript

Forces of magnitudes 22 newtons and 42 newtons act at a point. What is the maximum possible value of their resultant?

Well, if we have a point at which some forces act, then if we’re looking for the maximum possible value of their resultant, then this can be achieved if both of the forces were acting in exactly the same direction. And that’s because if they’re acting in exactly the same direction, all we need to do to find the resultant is add them together. So, we’d have 22 newtons plus 42 newtons. So, therefore, the resultant would just be 64 newtons.

So, we could say that if we have forces of magnitudes 22 newtons and 42 newtons acting at a point, then the maximum possible value of the resultant is 64 newtons.