MODULE OF INSTRUCTION_________________________________NSCI-6100 Physics for Engineers 1

EQUILIBRIUM

Course Learning Outcome:

 Understand and define the Equilibrium

 Identify the First and Second Condition of Equilibrium
 Solve the Static Equilibrium problem using the formula.

Equilibrium – Balanced
In physics, the condition of a system when neither its state of motion nor its internal
energy state tends to change with time. A simple mechanical body is said equilibrium of
it experiences neither linear acceleration nor angular acceleration; unless it is disturbed
by an outside force, it will continue in that condition indefinitely.
For a single particle, equilibrium arises if the vector sum of all forces acting upon the
particle is zero. A rigid body (by definition distinguished from a particle in having the
property of extension) is considered to be in equilibrium if, in addition to the states listed
for the particle above, the vector sum of all torques acting on the body equals zero so
that its state of rotational motion remains constant.

Equilibrium is said to be stable if small, externally induced displacements from that

state. Examples include a weight suspended by a spring or a brick lying on a level surface.
Equilibrium is unstable if the least departure produces forces that tend to increase the
displacement. An example is a ball bearing balanced on the edge of a razor blade.
When all the forces which act upon an object are balanced, then the object is said to
be in a state of equlibrium. The forces are considered to be balanced if the rightward
forces are balanced by the leftward forces and the upward forces are balanced by the
downward forces. This however does not necessarily mean that all the forces are equal
to each other. Consider the two objects pictured in the force diagram shown below.
Note that the two objects are at equilibrium because the forces which act upon them
are balanced; however, the individual forces are not equal to each other. The 50 N forces
is not equal to the 30 N force.

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If an object is at equilibrium, then the forces are balanced. Balanced is the key word that
is used to describe equilibrium situations. Thus, the net force is zero and the acceleration
is 0 m/s/s. Objects at equilibrium must have an acceleration of 0 m/s/s. This extends from
Newton's first law of motion. But having an acceleration of 0 m/s/s does not mean the
object is at rest. An object at equilibrium is either ...

• at rest and staying at rest, or

• in motion and continuing in motion with the same speed and direction.
This too extends from Newton's first law of motion.
If an object is at rest and is in a state of equilibrium, then we would say that the
object is at "static equilibrium." "Static" means stationary or at rest. A common physics lab
is to hang an object by two or more strings and to measure the forces that are exerted at angles
upon the object to support its weight.

The state of the object is analyzed in terms of the forces acting upon the object.
The object is a point on a string upon which three forces were acting. See diagram at
right. If the object is at equilibrium, then the net force acting upon the object should be
0 Newton. Thus, if all the forces are added together as vectors, then the resultant force
(the vector sum) should be 0 Newton.
(Recall that the net force is "the vector sum of all the forces" or the resultant of
adding all the individual forces head-to-tail.) Thus, an accurately drawn vector addition
diagram can be constructed to determine the resultant.

The First Condition of Equilibrium

We may say that an object at rest is in equilibrium or in static equilibrium. An

object at rest is described by Newton's First Law of Motion. An object in static equilibrium
has zero net force acting upon it.

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The First Condition of Equilibrium is that the vector sum of all the forces acting on a body
vanishes. This can be written as

 F = F1+ F2 + F3 + F4 + . . . = 0
where ,the Greek letter sigma, again means the summation of whatever follows -- the
summation of the forces, in this case.
However, remember the following:

 Ensure that you have included all the forces. This means carefully draw a free body
diagram. Include gravity (the weight) and all contact forces.
 Remember that forces are vectors. That means that the first condition of
equilibrium, really means;

F  0
 Fx  0  Fy  0

Second Condition of Equilibrium

An object in equilibrium does not move along a straight line -- it does not translate
-- that means the sum of all the forces on it is zero. That was the first condition of
equilibrium. But an object in equilibrium also does not rotate. That means the sum of all
the rotational forces on it is also zero. The sum of all the torques on an object is
equilibrium is zero.
This is the Second Condition of Equilibrium. Tor ques that would rotate an object
counter clockwise may be taken as positive and torques that would rotate an object
clockwise may be taken as negative. Then we can write this Second Condition of
Equilibrium as

   0
or we can calculate the sum of the clockwise torques and set them equal to the sum of
the counterclockwise torques. Then we can write this Second Condition of Equilibrium


as

 

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Example Problems
1.) An object weighing 100lb and suspended by a rope A, is pilled aside by a horizontal
rope B s that rope A makes angle 30°with the vertical, find the tensions I the ropes A and
B.
A free body diagram is sketch of isolated body which shows only the forces acting
upon the body.

2.) A 15kg box is to be supported by wire A at an angle of 35°withe the horizontal and a
second wire B. Tension in wire A is safety limited to 60N to place the box in equilibrium
at the position shown

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MODULE OF INSTRUCTION_________________________________NSCI-6100 Physics for Engineers 1

TAy  TBy  147  0

60 sin 35   TBy  147  0
34041 N  TBy  147  0
TBy  147  34 . 41
TBy  112 . 59 N

x 0
TBx  Tax  0
TBx  60 cos 25
TBX  49.15  0
TBx  49.15 N

TBorR  (TBx ) 2  (TBy ) 2

TB  ( 49.15) 2  (112.59) 2
TB  122.85 N
TBy
tan 
TBx
112.59 N
tan 
49.15 N
Tan  2.29
  tan 1 2.29 θ=66.4

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Exercise:
Static Equilibrium

1.) An object is supported by two ropes attached to the ceiling.

a.)Draw the free body diagram.
b.)Solve for the mass of the object using the component method. Clearly State
the equation for the  Fx and the 
Fy
Show all work.

2.) An 85 kg object is suspended from the ceiling and attached to a wall.

a.) Draw the free-body diagram.
b.) Solve for the tension in each rope, using either component or closed vector
triangle method. Show all work.

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References:

Book

A Committee on Physics (1962). College Physics. Published by Royal Publishing

House INC., Quezon City Philippines.

Weber et al. College Physics, Fifth Edition. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York
St. Louis San Francisco

Web

Calculus-Based Physics 1

https://textbookequity.org/Textbooks/Schnick_CalculusBasedphysics.pdf

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