A simple experiment concerning the equilibrium of three forces is simulated here: Weights are suspended from three tied cords. Two of the cords run over frictionless pulleys. The three forces acting on the knot (coloured arrows) are in equilibrium.

You can write forces from 1 N to 10 N into the text fields (don't forget to press the "Enter" key!). Notice that each force must be smaller than the sum of the other two forces! It is possible to vary the positions of the two pulleys by dragging the mouse. The parallelogram of the forces which are directed to the top left and right (red respectively blue) will be drawn if you select the corresponding option. At the bottom right you can read the angles of these two forces with respect to the vertical.

Physics Applets (Overview)