2026 · Q57
Two parallel, but not necessarily unidirectional, forces of magnitude 1 N and 2 N are acting on a body. Two more, parallel, again not necessarily unidirectional, forces of magnitude 3 N and 1 N, but perpendicular to the earlier forces, are applied to the body. Which one among the following are the smallest and largest possible magnitudes of the resultant force on the body?
General KnowledgePhysics
- A2 N and 8 N
- B√2 N and 5 N
- C√5 N and 5 N
- D√3 N and 7 N
Explanation
The 1 N and 2 N parallel forces give a resultant between 1 N and 3 N; the 3 N and 1 N forces, perpendicular to the first pair, give a resultant between 2 N and 4 N. The total resultant R = sqrt(a^2 + b^2): smallest = sqrt(1 + 4) = sqrt(5) N, largest = sqrt(9 + 16) = 5 N. The answer is (C).