Enter the x and y components of the force into the calculator to determine the root force magnitude.

Root Force Formula

The following equation is used to calculate the Root Force.

RF = SQRT (Fx^2 + Fy^2)

  • Where RF is the root force (N)
  • Fx is the x-component of the force (N)
  • Fy is the y-component of the force (N)

To calculate the root force, add together the component values of force squared, then take the square root of the result.

What is a Root Force?

Definition:

The term root force is most often used to describe the square root of the sum of the force components squared. In other words, the root force can be though of as the magnitude of force.

How to Calculate Root Force?

Example Problem:

The following example outlines the steps and information needed to calculate the Root Force.

First, determine the x-component of the force . In this example, the x-component of the force is found to be 30N.

Next, determine the y-component of the force. In this case, the y-component of the force is measured to be 20N.

Finally, calculate the Root Force using the formula above:

RF = SQRT (Fx^2 + Fy^2)

RF = SQRT (30^2 + 20^2)

RF = 36.05 N