Resolution of Forces Concept

Demonstrations in Resolution of Forces

Basswood strip supported at each end on wooden blocks, bending visibly under a brass mass with hook placed at center

Normal Force

A flexible basswood strip bends visibly under load, showing that normal forces arise from elastic deformation of the supporting material. Heavier masses produce greater deflection, making the connection between deformation …
Lecture bench with pulley clamps at each end, wheeled cart with stacked blue lead bricks in center, white ropes running from the cart and bricks over the pulleys
Safety

Tricky Tension Problem

A cart with lead bricks stays in equilibrium with 3 kg hanging from each side, but slides when 6 kg hangs from one side and the other rope is anchored. …
Two ring stands on a bench with a horizontal rod across the top; pink fluorescent string in a V-shape supports a brass mass at center; a yellow-green string runs over a pulley to a large circular dial spring scale reading about 18 N, with a hand pulling down
Safety

Perpendicular Forces

A mass hangs from a string while a spring scale attempts to pull the string horizontal. Students see that no matter how hard they pull, the string cannot be made …
Two bench-clamp stands with pulleys support strings meeting at a central point in front of a large protractor mounted on a ring stand; hanging masses on each string and at the junction allow adjustment of angles and tensions

Weight on Hammock Rope

Demonstrates vector resolution of forces in static equilibrium. Students see that rope tension must exceed the supported weight when the rope is not vertical, and that tension diverges as the …
Transparent projection force table with ball chains attached to central ring at various angles, shown both directly (left) and projected on screen (right)

Projection Force Table

Demonstrates vector addition of coplanar forces and the conditions for static equilibrium. Students observe how multiple forces acting at a point can balance, reinforcing force resolution and equilibrium conditions. The …