Engineering Statics – MECH 223

Review Problems for the Final Exam – Set 2

1. A rear-wheel-drive car is stuck in the snow

between other parked cars as shown. In an
attempt to free the car, three students exert forces
on the car at points A,B and C while the driver’s
actions result in a forward thrust of 40 lb acting
parallel to the plane of rotation of each rear
wheel. Treating the problem as two-dimensional, determine the equivalent force-couple
system at the car center of mass G, and locate position x of the point on the car centerline
through which the resultant passes. Neglect all forces not shown.
Solution:

2. A uniform rod is bent into shape shown and pivoted

about O. Find the value of a in terms of the radius r so
that the straight section will remain horizontal.
Solution:
 3. Determine the distance s to which the 90-kg painter can
climb without causing the 4-m ladder to slip at its lower
end A. The top of the 15-kg ladder has a small roller, and
at the ground the coefficient of static friction is 0.25. The
mass center of the painter is directly above his feet.
Solution:

4. A Warren bridge truss is loaded as shown. Determine

the force in members EG, FG, and FH.
Solution:
 5. Two uniform bars are supported in a vertical plane as
shown. If the mass of AC is 60 kg and that of BD is 30 kg,
with. Each center of mass at midlength, compute the
force supported by the pin at A.
Solution: