STATICS

2 Force Vectors
Chapter Outline

1. Scalars and Vectors

2. Vector Operations
3. Vector Addition of Forces
4. Addition of a System of Coplanar Forces
5. Cartesian Vectors
6. Addition and Subtraction of Cartesian Vectors
7. Position Vectors
8. Force Vector Directed along a Line
9. Dot Product
2.5 Cartesian Vectors

• Right-Handed Coordinate System

A rectangular or Cartesian coordinate system is said
to be right-handed provided:
– Thumb of right hand points in the direction of the
positive z axis
– z-axis for the 2D problem would be perpendicular,
directed out of the page.

The adjective Cartesian refers to the French

mathematician and philosopher René Descartes (who
used the name Cartesius in Latin).
2.5 Cartesian Vectors

• Rectangular Components of a Vector

– A vector A may have one, two or three rectangular
components along the x, y and z axes, depending on
orientation
– By two successive application of the parallelogram law
A = A’ + Az
A’ = Ax + Ay
– Combing the equations,
A can be expressed as
A = Ax + Ay + Az
2.5 Cartesian Vectors

• Unit Vector
– Direction of A can be specified using a unit vector
– Unit vector has a magnitude of 1
– If A is a vector having a magnitude of A ≠ 0, unit
vector having the same direction as A is expressed
by uA = A / A. So that

A = A uA
2.5 Cartesian Vectors

• Cartesian Vector Representations

– 3 components of A act in the positive i, j and k
directions

A = Axi + Ayj + AZk

*Note the magnitude and direction

of each components are separated,
easing vector algebraic operations.
2.5 Cartesian Vectors

• Magnitude of a Cartesian Vector

– From the colored triangle, A  A'2  Az2

– From the shaded triangle, A'  Ax2  Ay2

– Combining the equations

gives magnitude of A

A  Ax2  Ay2  Az2

2.5 Cartesian Vectors

• Direction of a Cartesian Vector

– Orientation of A is defined as the coordinate
direction angles α, β and γ measured between the
tail of A and the positive x, y and z axes
– 0° ≤ α, β and γ ≤ 180 °
– The direction cosines of A is
Ax Az
cos   cos  
A A
Ay
cos  
A
2.5 Cartesian Vectors

• Direction of a Cartesian Vector

– Angles α, β and γ can be determined by the
inverse cosines
Given
A = Axi + Ayj + AZk

then,
uA = A /A = (Ax/A)i + (Ay/A)j + (AZ/A)k

where A  Ax2  Ay2  Az2

2.5 Cartesian Vectors

• Direction of a Cartesian Vector

– uA can also be expressed as
uA = cosαi + cosβj + cosγk

– Since A  Ax2  Ay2  Az2 and uA = 1, we have

cos   cos   cos   1

2 2 2

– A as expressed in Cartesian vector form is

A = AuA
= Acosαi + Acosβj + Acosγk
= Axi + Ayj + AZk
2.6 Addition and Subtraction of Cartesian Vectors

• Concurrent Force Systems

– Force resultant is the vector sum of all the forces in
the system

FR = ∑F = ∑Fxi + ∑Fyj + ∑Fzk

Example 2.8

Express the force F as Cartesian vector.

Solution

Since two angles are specified, the third angle is found by

cos 2   cos 2   cos 2   1
cos 2   cos 2 60   cos 2 45  1
cos   1  0.5  0.707  ±0.5
2 2

Two possibilities exit, namely

  cos 1 0.5 60 
  cos 1  0.5  120
Solution

By inspection, α = 60º since Fx is in the +x direction

Given F = 200N
F = Fcosαi + Fcosβj + Fcosγk
= (200cos60ºN)i + (200cos60ºN)j
+ (200cos45ºN)k
= {100.0i + 100.0j + 141.4k}N
Checking:

F  Fx2  Fy2  Fz2

 100.0  100.0  141.4

2 2 2
 200 N
2.7 Position Vectors

• x,y,z Coordinates
– Right-handed coordinate system
– Positive z axis points upwards, measuring the height of
an object or the altitude of a point
– Points are measured relative
to the origin, O.
2.7 Position Vectors

Position Vector
– Position vector r is defined as a fixed vector which
locates a point in space relative to another point.
– E.g. r = xi + yj + zk
2.7 Position Vectors

Position Vector
– Vector addition gives rA + r = rB
– Solving
r = rB – rA = (xB – xA)i + (yB – yA)j + (zB –zA)k
or r = (xB – xA)i + (yB – yA)j + (zB –zA)k
2.7 Position Vectors

• Length and direction of cable AB can be found by

measuring A and B using the x, y, z axes
• Position vector r can be established
• Magnitude r represent the length of cable
• Angles, α, β and γ represent the direction of the cable
• Unit vector, u = r/r
Example 2.12

An elastic rubber band is attached to points A and B.

Determine its length and its direction measured from A
towards B.
Solution

Position vector
r = [-2m – 1m]i + [2m – 0]j + [3m – (-3m)]k
= {-3i + 2j + 6k}m

Magnitude = length of the rubber band

r  32  22  62  7m

Unit vector in the directon of r

u = r /r
= -3/7i + 2/7j + 6/7k
Solution

The components of this unit vector give the coordinate

direction angles. These angles are measured from the
positive axes of a localized coordinate system placed at
the tail of r.

α = cos-1(-3/7) = 115°
β = cos-1(2/7) = 73.4°
γ = cos-1(6/7) = 31.0°
2.8 Force Vector Directed along a Line

• In 3D problems, direction of F is specified by 2 points,

through which its line of action lies
• F can be formulated as a Cartesian vector
F = F u = F (r/r)

• Note that F has units of forces (N)

unlike r, with units of length (m)
2.8 Force Vector Directed along a Line

• Force F acting along the chain can be presented as a

Cartesian vector by
- Establish x, y, z axes
- Form a position vector r along length of chain
• Unit vector, u = r/r that defines the direction of both
the chain and the force
• We get F = Fu
Example 2.13

The man pulls on the cord with a force of 350N.

Represent this force acting on the support A, as a
Cartesian vector and determine its direction.
Solution

End points of the cord are A (0m, 0m, 7.5m) and

B (3m, -2m, 1.5m)
r = (3m – 0m)i + (-2m – 0m)j + (1.5m – 7.5m)k
= {3i – 2j – 6k}m

Magnitude = length of cord AB

r 3m 2   2m 2   6m 2  7m

Unit vector,
u = r /r
= 3/7i - 2/7j - 6/7k
Solution

Force F has a magnitude of 350N, direction specified by

u.
F = Fu
= 350N(3/7i - 2/7j - 6/7k)
= {150i - 100j - 300k} N

α = cos-1(3/7) = 64.6°
β = cos-1(-2/7) = 107°
γ = cos-1(-6/7) = 149°
2.9 Dot Product

If you know the physical locations of the four cable ends,

how could you calculate the angle between the cables at
the common anchor?
2.9 Dot Product

Occasionally in statics one has to find the angle between

two lines or the components of a force parallel and
perpendicular to a line. In two dimensions, these
problems can readily be solved by trigonometry since the
geometry is easy to visualize.
In three dimensions, however, this is often difficult, and
consequently vector methods should be employed for the
solution. The dot product, which defines a particular
method for “multiplying” two vectors, is used to solve the
above-mentioned problems.
2.9 Dot Product

• Dot product of vectors A and B is written as A·B

(Read A dot B)
• Define the magnitudes of A and B and the angle
between their tails
A·B = AB cosθ where 0°≤ θ ≤180°
• Referred to as scalar product of vectors as result is a
scalar
2.9 Dot Product

Laws of Operation
1. Commutative law
A·B = B·A
2. Multiplication by a scalar
a(A·B) = (aA)·B = A·(aB) = (A·B)a
3. Distribution law
A·(B + D) = (A·B) + (A·D)
2.9 Dot Product

• Cartesian Vector Formulation

- Dot product of Cartesian unit vectors
i·i = (1)(1)cos0° = 1
i·j = (1)(1)cos90°= 0
- Similarly
i·i = 1 j·j = 1 k·k = 1
i·j = 0 i·k = 0 j·k = 0
2.9 Dot Product

• Cartesian Vector Formulation

– Dot product of 2 vectors A and B
A·B = (Axi + Ayj + Azk)·(Bxi + Byj + Bzk)
= AxBx(i·i) + AxBy(i·j) + AxBz(i·k)
+ AyBx(j·i) + AyBy(j·j) + AyBz(j·k)
+ AzBx(k·i) + AzBy(k·j) + AzBz(k·k)
A·B = AxBx + AyBy + AzBz

Thus, to determine the dot product of two Cartesian vectors, multiply

their corresponding x, y, z components and sum these products
algebraically . Note that the result will be either a positive or negative
scalar.
2.9 Dot Product

• Applications
The dot product has two important applications in mechanics.
– The angle formed between two vectors or
intersecting lines.
θ = cos-1 [(A·B)/(AB)] 0°≤ θ ≤180°
– The components of a vector parallel and
perpendicular to a line.
Aa = A cos θ = A·ua
Example 2.17

The frame is subjected to a horizontal force F = {300j} N.

Determine the components of this force parallel and
perpendicular to the member AB.
Solution

Since   

 r 2i  6 j  3k
u B  B 
rB 22  62  32
  
 0.286i  0.857 j  0.429k
Thus
 
FAB  F cos
    
 F .u B  300 j   0.286i  0.857 j  0.429k 
 (0)(0.286)  (300)(0.857)  (0)(0.429)
 257.1N
Solution

Since result is a positive scalar, FAB has the same sense

of
 direction
 as uB. Express in Cartesian form

FAB  FAB u AB
  
 257.1N 0.286i  0.857 j  0.429k 
  
 {73.5i  220 j  110k }N
Perpendicular component
         
F  F  FAB  300 j  (73.5i  220 j  110k )  {73.5i  80 j  110k }N
Solution

Magnitude can be determined from F┴ or from

Pythagorean Theorem,
 2  2
F  F  FAB

 300 N 2  257.1N 2
 155 N