Your results is partly correct. The problem in your solution is a confusion about angle $\theta$ from the cosine rule you are using. The triangle of forces will look like the following image: [![enter image description here][1]][1] where r is the angle in the cosine rule: $$R^2 = F_1^2 +F_2^2 - 2F_1 F_2 \cos(r)$$ $$R^2 = F_1^2 +F_2^2 - 2F_1 F_2 \cos(180-\theta)$$ If this is superimposed to your initial image it will look like the following: [![enter image description here][2]][2] So what you calculate as 97.9 is actually equal to $180-\theta$. From there: Therefore: - $R_x = -868.75 [N]$ - $R_y = 495.25[N]$ (Negative because its pointing to the left) If you take the magnitude of $R= \sqrt{(-868.75)^2 + 495.25^2}=1000$ ---- ## Another way to solve this Lets write $F_1 = -800[N]$ and $F_2=500N$. Also assume the $\phi$ is angle with the positive x, therefore $\phi = 180-\theta$. Then the resultant R will have: $$R_x = F_1 + F_2 \cos(\phi) \qquad R_y=F_2 \sin(\phi)$$ Then $$|R|= \sqrt{(F_1 + F_2 \cos(\phi))^2 + (F_2 \sin(\phi))^2 }$$ Solving for this you get $$\phi= 97.9[deg]\rightarrow \theta = 82.1$$ and the angle between the resultant and the horizontal +x (assuming +x is to the right) is: *I'll put up the answer when you show what you've tried* $$\beta = 150.31[deg]$$ <!-- import sympy as sp import numpy as np R=1000 F1=-800 F2= 500 a = sp.symbols('a') eq2 = sp.Eq(R**2, (F1+F2*sp.cos(sp.pi-a))**2+ (F2*sp.sin(sp.pi-a))**2) res = sp.solve([eq2], a) a1=res[1][0] float(sp.sqrt((F1+float(sp.pi-a1))**2 + (F2*sp.sin(sp.pi-a1))**2)) Rx = float(F1 +F2*sp.cos(sp.pi-a1)) Rx = float(F2*sp.sin(sp.pi-a1)) print(Rx) --> [1]: https://i.sstatic.net/ZOHLAm.png [2]: https://i.sstatic.net/ATPAH.png