|4 | Patrick Copland's Diagonal Machine
Described as Ball and frame illustrating the composition of forces £0.2.6 this demonstration piece after a design by James Ferguson simply illustrates the vector addition of displacements, which is the same as the vector addition of forces. The ball on a sliding frame moves sideways as the frame is slid out but the ball is also given a vertical motion by the attached string. The result of equal sideways and vertical motions is a diagonal motion at 45°, as can be seen directly when the machine is operated. The demonstration is simple and direct, and to many people more convincing than the corresponding vector mathematics.
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