Three vectors of magnitudes , , and act on a body. Which of the following is true regarding their resultant?
Options
The minimum magnitude of their resultant is .
The minimum magnitude of their resultant can be .
The maximum magnitude of their resultant is .
The resultant can never be less than .
Explanation
For three vectors to have a minimum resultant of , they must be able to form a closed triangle, which requires the sum of the two smaller magnitudes to be greater than or equal to the third (, which fails this triangle inequality). The maximum possible resultant is when all three act in the same direction: (making option 3 incorrect). The minimum resultant occurs when the two smaller forces act in the same direction, directly opposing the largest force, resulting in . Thus, the minimum magnitude is (making option 1 correct, and options 2 and 4 incorrect).