Graphical solutions of forces
Vectors are drawn on graph paper to a suitable scale. All vectors are drawn:
- to a length that shows their magnitude
- with arrow heads indicating direction and the arrow tail indicating their point of origin.
Note the convention of giving forces a positive or negative value, where forces in the 
and 
directions are positive and forces in the 
and directions are negative.
A suitable scale could be 1 mm:1 kN or alternatively 10 mm:100 kN depending on the situation.