A piling for a high-rise building is pushed by two bulldozers at exactly the same time. One bulldozer exerts a force of 1250 pounds in a westerly direction. The other bulldozer pushes the piling with a force of 2650 pounds in a northerly direction. What is the magnitude of the resultant force upon the piling, to the nearest ten pounds?
The forces point west and north, so they are perpendicular. Use the Pythagorean theorem: the resultant magnitude is √(1250² + 2650²) = √8,585,000 ≈ 2,930 pounds. The best answer is 2930 lbs.
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