Answer to Question #290177 in Mechanics | Relativity for Celest

Question

How to replace the three forces acting on the 3D bracket by a single equivalent force?

Answer 1

Explanation

• For these kinds of situations what we normally do is resolve all the 3 forces into 2 orthogonal components and then get the resultant of them.
• Since the forces are in 3D, performing a vector addition instead of resolving would be much easier.
• Try to illustrate all the 3 forces in an XYZ plane, to begin with.
• Then try writing them in vector notation.
• Then get the vector sum.
• Upon calculating the magnitude of that vector you get the magnitude of the force: the resultant force. Also, the direction of it can be found from vector notation.
• It is quite impossible to give a precise answer for this without seeing the picture.
• However, this method sounds similar to what was just described.