ENGR 0135

Chapter 5 -1
Moments

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Engineering
Concept of moment
 Introduction
to moment
 Moment about a point
 Moment about a line
 Couples
 Some examples

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Characteristics of a moment
 O = moment center
 d = moment arm (perpendicular to the line of
action of P) A
 A-A = axis of the moment
 A-A is perpendicular to the plane made by the
force and the distance vectors
 Mo = moment at O O
(scalar representation,
Mo = |Mo| = |P|d
tells the magnitude)

 Arrow of the moment indicates the sense P

(based on convention)
A
– Counterclockwise  Positive
– Clockwise  Negative
Mo
 Or use right-hand rule; the thumb tells the O
“direction” of the moment
d
 Moment has magnitude and direction so P
moment is a vector
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Moment
Principle of Moment –
Varignon’s Theorem
 If R = A + B, then Mo(R) = Mo(A) + Mo(B)
 Mo(R)= Moment at O due to force R
 Mo(A)= Moment at O due to force A
 Mo(B)= Moment at O due to force B

 The theorem can be used to either

decompose or combine moments
produced by forces

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 Example – finding the magnitude of moment
a) The moment of force F3 about point C
b) The moment of force F2 about point B
c) The moment of force F1 about point B
d) The moment of force F3 about point E

M C = F3 LBC = 400 ×15 = 6000lb.in

M B = F2 LBC = 300 × 15 sin 53.13o = 3600lb.in 15” 15” sin 53.13o

M B = F1 LDB LDB
= 250 × (15 − 5 sin 53.130o ) = 750lb.in
53.13o
M E = F3 LEB
= 400 × (10 − 15 cos 53.130o ) LEB
= 400lb.in Department of Mechanical Engineeri
Example
F = 300 N

30o
MB = ?

250 mm

B
x

150 mm 200 mm
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 Apply Varignon’s theorem:
Break up the Force into its XYZ components and
take the moments from each component

Fy = F sin 30o

Fx = F cos 30o

MB = - Fx 0.250 – Fy 0.2 = -95.0 N.m

250 mm
= 95.0 N.m counterclockwise
B
A x

MA = ?

150 mm 200 mm
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 Vector representation of a moment
 Useful for 3D cases, especially when d is not easy to measure
r = position vector of A
A = any point in the line of action of P

O Parallel to the line of action

α
r d
Line of action of force P P

~ ~
A
α
~
Mo = r × P
~ ~ ~
M o = (| r || F | sin α ) e
e= A unit vector
describing the moment

Perpendicular to the
magnitudes plane of the moment

Note that d = r sin α Department of Mechanical Engineeri

Position vector
 Any point along the line of action is a valid
point to get the r

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 s

The direction of vector s

~ ~ ~
Mo = r × F O

The curling direction of the

fingers other than the thumb.
The thumb points in the
direction of positive M.
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Cross Product of unit vectors - review
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
i ×i =0 j × i = −k k ×i = j
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
i × j =k j× j =0 k × j = −i
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
i ×k = − j j ×k = i k ×k = 0
Must be memorized !!!

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Cartesian representation of Moment
 Recall: the cartesian components of a vector 
applied to vector position and force
~ ~ ~ ~
r =r i +r j +r k
x y z
~ ~ ~ ~
F = Fx i + Fy j + Fz k
The cross product can be written as determinant of a matrix containing the unit
vectors, and the components of r and F. Extra-point take-home quiz: Show it.

~ ~ ~ Definition of the determinant

i j k
~ ~ a b c
r × F = rx ry rz e f g = afj + bgh + cei − cfh − agi − bej
h i j
Fx Fy Fz
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 ~ ~ ~
i j k
~ ~ ~
M o = r × F = rx ry rz
Fx Fy Fz

Mo = The moment Mo about the origin of coordinates O produced by a force F

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 Two ways of representing the moment vector:

1. Using i, j, and k unit vectors = Cartesian vector form

~ ~ ~ ~
r = rx i + ry j + rz k
~ ~ ~ ~
F = Fx i + Fy j + Fz k
~ ~ ~
i j k
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
M o = r × F = rx ry rz = M ox i + M oy j + M oz k
Fx Fy Fz
~ ~ ~
= (ry Fz − rz Fy ) i + (rz Fx − rx Fz ) j + (rx Fy − ry Fx )k

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2. Using direction cosines = using a unit vector

~
M o = r × F = M o e~
~
~ ~ ~ ~
e = cos θ x i + cos θ y j + cos θ z k

M ox M oy M oz
cos θ x = ~ cos θ y = ~ cos θ z = ~
Mo Mo Mo
The scalar components of the moment
M o x = (ry Fz − rz Fy )
M oy = (rz Fx − rx Fz )
M oz = (rx Fy − ry Fx )
~
M o = M o = M o = M ox + M oy + M oz
2 2 2

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Moment analysis
 Scalar Analysis
– Get the Cartesian components of the forces
– Get the distances for all of the force(s) components relative to the
point of interest
– Multiply each pair of the force and distance (scalar multiplication)
and determine the direction of each moment using right-hand rule
– Sum up the moments according to their direction
 Vector Analysis
– Get the vector position of the point about which the moment is
calculated relative to any point in the line of application
– Perform cross product of the force and position vectors

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 Problem 1

y C
10 ft 6 ft The 15-ft boom AB has a fixed
end A. A steel cable is stretched
from the free end B of the boom
A to a point C located on the
vertical wall. If the tension in the
cable is 570 lb, determine the
z moment about A of the force
15 ft B
exerted by the cable at B.
x

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 y Problem 1
C
10 ft 6 ft Solving Problems on Your Own
The 15-ft boom AB has a fixed
end A. A steel cable is stretched
A from the free end B of the boom
to a point C located on the
z vertical wall. If the tension in the
B cable is 570 lb, determine the
15 ft
moment about A of the force
x exerted by the cable at B.
1. Determine the rectangular components of a force defined by
its magnitude and direction. If the direction of the force is
defined by two points located on its line of action, the force can
be expressed by:
F
F= (d i + dy j + dz k)
d x
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 y C
10 ft 6 ft

z
15 ft B

x
2. Compute the moment of a force in three dimensions. If r is a
position vector and F is the force the moment M is given by:

M=rxF
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 y Problem 1 Solution
C
10 ft 6 ft

A 3. Determine the rectangular

570 N components of a force defined
by its magnitude and direction.
z
15 ft B
First note:
x dBC = (_15)2 + (6) 2 + (_10) 2

Then: dBC = 19 ft

570 lb _
TBC = ( 15 i + 6 j _ 10 k) = _ (450 lb) i + (180 lb) j _ (300 lb)k
19
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 y Problem 1 Solution
C
10 ft 6 ft

A Compute the moment of a

570 N force in three dimensions.
Have:
z
15 ft B MA = rB/A x TBC
x Where: rB/A = (15 ft) i

Then:

MA = 15 i x (_ 450 i + 180 j _ 300 k)

MA = (4500 lb.ft) j + (2700 lb.ft) k

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Moment of a force about a line
Basically, it means the rectangular vector component of a moment
(about a point that is passed by the line) that acts along the line.

r
A
O

Mo = r x F Moment about point O

MOB = [(r x F) . e] e Moment about line OB

e is the unit vector along OB

O is any point on the line OB Department of Mechanical Engineeri
Couples
 Two equal, noncollinear, parallel of
opposite sense
 The sum of these forces = zero
 Tends only to rotate a body
  a couple = a moment
  sum of the moments of the pair of forces
that comprise the couple

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Characteristic 1

 The magnitude of the moment of a couple about a

point in the plane of a couple is equal to the forces
multiplied by the perpendicular distance between the
forces

F Mo = F. b + F. a
= F. (a + b)
= F. d
d
b
The distances “a” and “b” are
a missing from the equation.
O
O can be anywhere as long as
on the plane of the couple
F
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Characteristic 2

 Moment of a couple does not depend on the

location of the moment center O
F1 M O = rA × F2 + rB × F1
but F1 = - F2 = (say) F
rA
rA/B α so
M O = (rA − rB ) × F
rB = rA / B × F
F2 O

= rA / B F sin α e
A couple is a Free Vector
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Transformation of a couple
A couple can be rotated in its plane
 A couple can be translated to a parallel
position in its plane or to any parallel plane
 The magnitude of the forces and the
distance between them can be changed
provided that the magnitude of the couple is
maintained

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Characteristics determining the
external effect of a couple
 Magnitude of the moment of the couple
 Sense (rotation) of the couple
 Aspect of the plane of the couple (the slope
or direction of the plane of the couple)

A couple can be represented as a vector

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Couples ~ Vector characteristics
 Couples can be “summed up (vectorially)” to yield
a resultant couple
 A couple can be decomposed into its scalar
cartesian components
 Scalar components of the same directions can be
combined to produce a couple vector in that
direction
 Direction cosines can be computed in a similar
method as for the forces and moments

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Examples
 The magnitude of the force
F in is 595 N.
– Determine the scalar
component of the moment at
point O about line OC.

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Example

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