Two forces of 5.0 N each are acting on a point mass. If the angle between the forces is 60°, then the net force acting on the point mass has magnitude close to :

The magnitude of the net force (resultant force) acting on a point mass when two forces P and Q act at an angle θ is determined using the law of cosines for vector addition:

R = √(P² + Q² + 2PQ cos θ)

Given the values:

• Force P = 5.0 N
• Force Q = 5.0 N
• Angle θ = 60°

Substituting these into the formula, and knowing that cos 60° = 0.5:

R = √(5.0² + 5.0² + 2 × 5.0 × 5.0 × 0.5)
R = √(25 + 25 + 25)
R = √75

The value of √75 is approximately 8.66 N. Therefore, the magnitude of the net force acting on the point mass is closest to 8.6 N, making Option A the correct choice.