Lesson 1

FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS
Time Frame: 9hrs

Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the student is able to:
 show how to add forces and resolve them into components using parallelogram law
 express force and position in Cartesian vector form and explain how to determine
 introduce dot product in order to determine the angle between two vectors or the projection of one
vector onto another

Introduction

Mechanics is defined as the science that describes and predicts the conditions of rest or motion
of bodies under the action of forces. It consists of the mechanics of rigid bodies, mechanics of deformable
bodies, and mechanics of fluids. The mechanics of rigid bodies is subdivided into statics and dynamics.
Statics deals with bodies at rest; dynamics deal with bodies in motion.

Mechanics is a physical science because it deals with the study of physical phenomena. Mechanics
is the foundation of most engineering sciences and is an indispensable prerequisite to their study.
However, it does not have the empiricism found in some engineering sciences, i.e., it does not rely on
experience or observation alone. The rigor of mechanics and the emphasis it places on deductive
reasoning makes it resemble mathematics. However, mechanics is not an abstract or even a pure science;
it is an applied science.

1. Fundamental Concepts and Principles

The basic concepts used in mechanics are space, time, mass, and force.
The concept of space is associated with the position of a point P. The position of P can be defined
by providing three lengths measured from a certain reference point, or origin, in three given directions.
These lengths are known as the coordinates of P.

To define an event, it is insufficient to indicate its position in space. We also need to specify the
time of the event.

The concept of mass is used to characterize and compare bodies based on certain fundamental
mechanical experiments. Two bodies of the same mass, for example, are attracted by the earth in the
same manner; they also offer the same resistance to a change in translational motion.

A force represents the action of one body on another. A force can be exerted by actual contacts,
like a push or a pull, or at a distance, as in the case of gravitational or magnetic forces. A force is
characterized by its point of application, its magnitude, and its direction; a force is represented by a vector.

The study of elementary mechanics rests on six fundamental principles, based on experimental
evidence.
 The Parallelogram Law for the Addition of Forces. Two forces acting on a particle may be
replaced by a single force, called their resultant, obtained by drawing the diagonal of the
parallelogram with sides equal to the given forces.
 The Principle of Transmissibility. The conditions of equilibrium or motion of a rigid body
remain unchanged if a force acting at a given point of the rigid body is replaced by a force of
the same magnitude and same direction, but acting at a different point, provided that the two
forces have the same line of action.
 Newton’s Three Laws of Motion. Formulated by Sir Isaac Newton in the late seventeenth
century, these laws can be stated as follows:
FIRST LAW. If the resultant force acting on a particle is zero, the particle remains at rest
(if originally at rest) or moves with constant speed in a straight line (if originally in motion).
SECOND LAW. If the resultant force acting on a particle is not zero, the particle has an
acceleration proportional to the magnitude of the resultant and in the direction of this
resultant force.
Σ𝐹 = 𝑚𝑎

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 THIRD LAW. The forces of action and reaction between bodies in contact have the same
magnitude, the same line of action, and opposite sense
 Newton’s Law of Gravitation. Two particles of mass M and m are mutually attracted with
equal and opposite forces F and –F of magnitude F, given by the formula
𝑀𝑚
𝐹=𝐺 2
𝑟
System of Units
Units:
SI U.S.
Mass M kilogram kg slug
Length L meter m feet ft
Force F Newton N pound lb
Time T second s second sec

Relation between units is based on the equation F = ma:

1 N = (1 kg) (1 m/s2)
1 lb= (1 slug) (1 ft/sec2 )

1. Example of calculating mass in U.S. system: The mass, m, of a particle which weighs W=10 lb and
is in a gravitational field of with an acceleration of gravity g = 32.2 ft/sec2 is
𝑊 10
𝑚= = 𝑠𝑙𝑢𝑔𝑠
𝑔 32.2
1.1 Force and their characteristics
A force represents the action of one body on another. It is generally characterized by its point of
application, its magnitude, and its direction. Forces acting on a given particle, however, have the same
point of application.
The magnitude of a force is characterized by a certain number of units. The SI units used by
engineers to measure the magnitude of a force are the newton (N) and it’s multiple the kilonewton (kN),
which is equal to 1000 N. The U.S. customary units used for the same purpose are the pound (lb) and it's
multiple the kilopound (kip), which is equal to 1000 lb. A force of 445 N is equivalent to a force of 100 lb
or that a force of 100 N equals a force of about 22.5 lb.

VECTORS:

Various quantities used in engineering mechanics may be grouped into scalars and vectors.

Scalar Quantity: A quantity is said to be scalar if it is completely defined by its magnitude alone. Examples
of scalar quantities are: Area, length, Mass, Moment of inertia, Energy, Power, Volume and Work, etc.

Vector Quantity: A quantity is said to be vector if it is completely defined only when its magnitude, as well
as direction, are specified. Examples of vector quantities include:
Force, Moment, Momentum, Displacement, Velocity, and Acceleration.

1.2 External and internal effects of forces

Forces acting on rigid bodies can be separated into two groups: (1) external forces and (2)
internal forces.
1. External forces are exerted by other bodies on the rigid body under consideration. They are
entirely responsible for the external behavior of the rigid body, either causing it to move or
ensuring that it remains at rest.
2. Internal forces hold together the particles forming the rigid body. If the rigid body is
structurally composed of several parts, the forces holding the parts together are also
defined as internal forces.

An example of external forces, consider the forces acting on a disabled truck that three people
are pulling forward using a rope attached to the front bumper. The external forces acting on the truck are
shown in a free-body diagram. Note that this free-body diagram shows the entire object, not just a particle
representing the object. Let us first consider the weight of the truck. Although it embodies the effect of
the earth’s pull on each of the particles forming the truck, the weight can be represented by the single

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force (W). The point of application of this force—that is, the point at which the force acts—is defined as
the center of gravity of the truck.

The weight (W) tends to make the truck move vertically downward. It would cause the truck to
move downward, i.e., to fall, if it were not for the presence of the ground. The ground opposes the
downward motion of the truck using the reactions R1 and R2. These forces are exerted by the ground on
the truck and must therefore be included among the external forces acting on the truck.

a) Three people pulling on a truck with a rope; (b) free-body diagram of the truck, shown as a rigid body instead of a particle.

The people pulling on the rope exert the force F. The point of application of F is on the front
bumper. The force F tends to make the truck move forward in a straight line and does make it move
because no external force opposes this motion. The forward motion of the truck, during which each
straight line keeps its original orientation (the floor of the truck remains horizontal, and the walls remain
vertical), is known as a translation. Other forces might cause the truck to move differently. For example,
the force exerted by a jack placed under the front axle would cause the truck to pivot about its rear axle.
Such a motion is a rotation. Therefore we can conclude that each external force acting on a rigid body
can, if unopposed, impart to the rigid body motion of translation or rotation, or both.

1.3 Force systems; concurrent, non-concurrent, parallel, non-concurrent, non-parallel; coplanar and
spatial force systems

Collinear Force System

When the lines of action of all the forces of a system act along the same line, this force system is
called the collinear force system.

Parallel Forces

Coplanar Force System

When the lines of action of a set of forces lie in a single plane is called a coplanar force system.

Non-Coplanar Force System

When the line of action of all the forces does not lie in one plane, is called a Non-coplanar force
system.

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Concurrent Force System
The forces when extended pass through a single point and the point is called the point of
concurrency. The lines of actions of all forces meet at the point of concurrency. Concurrent forces may or
may not be coplanar.

Non-concurrent Force System

When the forces of a system do not meet at a common point of concurrency, this type of force
system is called a non-concurrent force system. Parallel forces are an example of this type of force system.
Non-concurrent forces may be coplanar or non-coplanar.

Coplanar and concurrent force system

A force system in which all the forces lie in a single plane and meet at one point, For example,
forces acting at a joint of a roof truss.
P = External force
F1 to F5 = Member forces (internal) RA and RB = Reactions
C = Point of concurrency

Coplanar and non-concurrent force system

These forces do not meet at a common point; however, they lie in a single plane, for example,
forces acting on a beam as shown:

Non-coplanar and concurrent force system

In this system, the forces lie in different planes but pass through a single point. An example is
the forces acting at the top end of an electrical pole.

Non-coplanar and non-concurrent force system

The forces which do not lie in a single plane and do not pass through a single point are known as
non-coplanar and non-concurrent forces. An example is the loads transferred through columns to the
rectangular mat foundation as shown.

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1.4 Components of a force; resolution of forces into planar and spatial components
A given force F can be resolved into (or replaced by) two forces, which together produce the same
effects that of force F. These forces are called the components of the force F. This process of replacing a
force into its components is known as the resolution of a force into components. A force can be resolved
into two components, which are either perpendicular to each other or inclined to each other. If the two
components are perpendicular to one another, then they are known as rectangular components and when
the components are inclined to each other, they are called inclined components. The resolution of a force
into components is illustrated as follows.

Resolution of a Vector: A vector can be resolved along different directions using the parallelogram rule.
The figure shows how one resolves vector c into components a and b which are along with the given
directions

For a right triangle:

For a general triangle:

A line intersecting parallel lines:

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Vectors in 3-D( Spatial Components)
Unit vector: A vector of unit length.

Base vectors for a rectangular coordinate system: A set of three mutually orthogonal unit vectors

Right-handed system: A coordinate system represented by base vectors that follow the right-hand rule.

Rectangular component of a Vector: The projections of vector A along the x, y, and z directions are Ax,
Ay, and Az, respectively.

𝑨 = 𝐴𝒙 𝒊 + 𝐴𝒚 𝒋 + 𝐴𝒛 𝒌

The magnitude of a Vector:

Direction Cosines:

Unit vector along a vector: The unit vector (𝛾A ) along the vector A is obtained from
𝑨 𝐴𝑥 𝐴𝑦 𝐴𝑧
𝛾A = 𝐴 = 𝐴 𝑖 + 𝐴 𝑗 + 𝐴 𝑘 = cos(𝛼) 𝑖 + cos(𝛽) 𝑗 + cos(𝛾) 𝑘
𝑨 = 𝐴𝛾𝐴 = 𝐴𝑐𝑜𝑠(𝛼)𝑖 + 𝐴𝑐𝑜𝑠(𝛽)𝑗 + 𝐴 cos(𝛾) 𝑘

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Examples:
1. Determine the x and y components of the forces shown.

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𝐹1𝑥 = 58 cos 30° = 50.23 𝑘𝑁 𝐹3𝑥 = −45 (13) = −17.31𝑘𝑁
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𝐹1𝑦 = 58 sin 30° = 29.00 𝑘𝑁 𝐹3𝑦 = −45 (13) = −41.54 𝑘𝑁

𝐹2𝑥 = −50 cos 45° = 35.36 𝑘𝑁 𝐹4𝑥 = 40𝑘𝑁

𝐹2𝑦 = −50 sin 45° = 35.36 𝑘𝑁 𝐹4𝑥 = 0 𝑘𝑁

2. Find the components in the x, y, u, and v directions of the force P = 10 kN.

Solution:

𝑃𝑥 = 10 cos 60° = 5 𝑘𝑁 𝑃𝑢 = 10 cos 40° = 7.66 𝑘𝑁

𝑃𝑦 = 10 sin 60° = 8.66 𝑘𝑁 𝑃𝑣 = 10 sin 40° = 6.43 𝑘𝑁

3. The force P of magnitude 50 kN is acting at 215° from the x-axis. Find the components of P in u
157° from x and v negative 69° from x.
Solution:

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 𝜃 = 215° − 157° = 58°
∅ = 180° − 157° = 23° 𝛼 = 69° − ∅ = 69° − 23° = 46°
𝜑 = 215° − 180° = 35° 𝛽 = 180° − 69° − 𝜑 = 180° − 69° − 35° = 76°

Using Sine Law:

𝑃𝑢 𝑃 𝑃
= 𝑣 =
sin 𝛽 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝛼
𝑃𝑢 𝑃 50 50 𝑠𝑖𝑛76° 50 𝑠𝑖𝑛58°
sin 76°
= 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑣58° = 𝑠𝑖𝑛 46° 𝑃𝑢 = sin 46°
= 67.44𝑘𝑁 𝑃𝑣 = sin 46°
= 58.95𝑘𝑁
50 𝑠𝑖𝑛76°
𝑃𝑢 = sin 46° = 67.44𝑘𝑁

4. Determine the angle between vector A and the y-axis.

Solution:

𝐴𝑦 = 𝐴𝑥𝑦 sin 40°

𝐴𝑥𝑦 = A sin 30° 𝐴𝑦 = 0.5𝐴 sin 40° 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃𝑦 = 0.321
𝐴𝑥𝑦 = 0.5 𝐴 𝐴𝑦 = 0.321𝐴 𝜃𝑦 = 71.3°

5. A-frame ABC is supported in part by cable DBE that passes through a frictionless ring at B. Knowing
that the tension in the cable is 385 N, determine the components of the force exerted by the cable
on the support at D.

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 Solution:
̅̅̅̅
𝐸𝐵 = ( 270𝑚𝑚)𝑖 − (400𝑚𝑚)𝑗 + (600𝑚𝑚)𝑘
𝐸𝐵 = √(270𝑚𝑚)2 + (400𝑚𝑚)2 + (600𝑚𝑚)2
𝐸𝐵 = 770𝑚𝑚
̅̅̅̅
𝐸𝐵 (270𝑚𝑚)𝑖−(400𝑚𝑚)𝑗+(600𝑚𝑚)𝑘
𝐹 = 𝐹𝛾𝐸𝐵 = 𝐹 𝐸𝐵 = 385𝑁 [ 770𝑚𝑚
]
𝐹 = (135𝑁)𝑖 − (200𝑁)𝑗 + (300𝑁)𝑘

Exercises:
1. The vertical force acts downward at the two-membered frame. Determine the magnitudes of
the two components of F directed along the axes of AB and AC. Set F = 500 N.

2. Resolve the force F2 into components acting along u and v axes and determine the magnitudes
of the components.

3. The component of force F acting along line aa is required to be 30 lb. Determine the magnitude
of F and its component along line bb.

4. The force F has a magnitude of 80 lb and acts within the octant shown. Determine the
magnitudes of the x, y, z components of F.

5. Determine the magnitude and coordinate direction angles of the force F acting on the support.
The component of F in the x-y plane is 7 kN.

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1.5 Vector analysis; addition, subtraction, and multiplication of vectors
Vectors add according to the parallelogram law. So, we get the sum of two vectors P and Q by
attaching the two vectors to the same point A and constructing a parallelogram, using P and Q as two
adjacent sides.
the parallelogram constructed on the vectors P and Q does not depend upon the order in which
P and Q are selected, we conclude that the addition of two vectors is commutative,

Using the parallelogram law to add two vectors.

An alternative method for determining the sum of two vectors, known as the triangle rule. The
sum of the two vectors thus can be found by arranging P and Q in tip-to-tail fashion and then connecting
the tail of P with the tip of Q.

The triangle rule of vector addition. (a) Adding vector Q to vector P equals (b) adding vector P to vector Q.

The subtraction of a vector is defined as the addition of the corresponding negative vector.
Thus, we determine the vector P − Q, representing the difference between the vectors P and Q, by
adding to P the negative vector –Q.

The sum of three vectors P, Q, and S is, by definition, obtained by first adding the vectors P and
Q and then adding the vector S to the vector P + Q.

The sum of the four-vectors can be obtained by adding the fourth vector to the sum of the first
three. It follows that we can obtain the sum of any number of vectors by applying the parallelogram law
repeatedly to successive pairs of vectors until all of the given vectors are replaced by a single vector.

The triangle rule is first applied to obtain the sum P + Q of the vectors P and Q; we apply it again
to obtain the sum of the vectors P + Q and S. However, we could have omitted to determine the vector P
+ Q and obtain the sum of the three vectors directly, by arranging the given vectors in tip-to-tail fashion
and connecting the tail of the first vector with the tip of the last one. This is known as the polygon rule
for the addition of vectors.
P + Q + S = (P + Q) + S = P + (Q + S)

The result would be unchanged if we had replaced the vectors Q and S by their sum Q + S.
P + Q + S = (P + Q) + S = P + (Q + S)

It expresses the fact that vector addition is associative. Recalling that vector addition also is
commutative in the case of two vectors.

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 Product of a Scalar and a Vector. It is appropriate to denote the sum P + P by 2P, the sum P + P +
P by 3P, and, in general, the sum of n equal vectors P by the product nP. Therefore, we define the product
nP of a positive integer n and a vector P as a vector having the same direction as P and the magnitude nP.
Extending this definition to include all scalars and recalling the definition of a negative vector given earlier,
we define the product kP of a scalar k and a vector P as a vector having the same direction as P (if k is
positive) or a direction opposite to that of P (if k is negative) and a magnitude equal to the product of P
and the absolute value of k.

Multiplying a vector by a scalar changes the vector’s magnitude, but not its direction (unless the scalar is negative, in which case the direction is
reversed).
1.6 Moment of a force
When a force is applied to a body it will produce a tendency for the body to rotate about a point
that is not on the line of action of the force. This tendency to rotate is sometimes called a torque, but
most often it is called the moment of a force or simply the moment.

Vector Products
To have a better understanding of the effect of a force on a rigid body, a new concept is
introduced, the moment of a force about a point. However, this concept is more clearly understood and
is more effectively useful if we first enhance the mathematical tools at our disposal of the vector product
of two vectors.

The vector product of two vectors P and Q is defined as the vector V that satisfies the following
conditions.
1. The line of action of V is perpendicular to the plane containing P and Q.
2. The magnitude of V is the product of the magnitudes of P and Q and of the sine of the angle
𝜃 formed by P and Q (the measure of which is always 180° or less).

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 3. The direction of V is obtained from the right-hand rule. Close your right hand and hold it so
that your fingers are curled in the same sense as the rotation through 𝜃 that brings the vector P in line
with the vector Q. Your thumb then indicates the direction of the vector V. Note that if P and Q do not
have a common point of application, you should first redraw them from the same point. The three vectors
P, Q, and V— taken in that order—are said to form a right-handed triad.

(a) The vector product V has the magnitude PQ sin θ and is perpendicular to the plane of P and Q; (b) you can determine the
direction of V by using the right-hand rule.

Vector product

It follows that if the vectors P and Q have either the same direction or opposite directions, their
vector product is zero. In the general case when the angle θ formed by the two vectors is neither 0° nor
180° has a simple geometric interpretation: The magnitude V of the vector product of P and Q is equal to
the area of the parallelogram that has P and Q for sides. The vector product P × Q is therefore unchanged
if we replace Q by a vector Q′ that is coplanar with P and Q such that the line joining the tips of Q and Q′
is parallel to P:

From the third condition used to define the vector product V of P and Q— namely, that P, Q,
and V must form a right-handed triad—it follows that vector products are not commutative; i.e., Q × P is
not equal to P × Q.

The commutative property does not apply to vector products. But, it can be demonstrated that
the distributive property does hold.

Rectangular Components of Vector Products

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 a) The vector product of the i and j unit vectors is the k unit vector; (b) the vector product of the j and i unit vectors is the –k unit
vector.

The vector product V of two given vectors P and Q in terms of the rectangular components of
these vectors can be express by first resolving P and Q into components,

Making use of the distributive property, V can be express as the sum of vector products, such as
Px i × Qy j. We find that each of the expressions obtained is equal to the vector product of two unit vectors,
such as i × j, multiplied by the product of two scalars, such as Px and Qy.

Rectangular components of a vector product

Moment of a Force about a Point

A force F is represented by a vector that defines its magnitude and direction. However, the effect
of the force on the rigid body depends also upon its point of application A. The position of A can be
conveniently defined by the vector r that joins the fixed reference point O with A; this vector is known as
the position vector of A.
The moment of F about O as the vector product of r and F:

Moment of a force about a point. (a) The moment MO is the vector product of the position
vector r and the force F; (b) a right-hand rule indicates the sense of MO.
Moment of a force about a point O.

The moment MO must be perpendicular to the plane containing O and force F. The sense of MO is
defined by the sense of the rotation that will bring vector r in line with vector F; this rotation is observed

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as counter-clockwise by an observer located at the tip of MO. Another way of defining the sense of MO is
furnished by a variation of the right-hand rule: Close your right hand and hold it so that your fingers curl
in the sense of the rotation that F would impart to the rigid body about a fixed axis directed along the line
of action of MO.

The magnitude of the moment of a force

where d represents the perpendicular distance from O to the line of action of F

Experimentally, the tendency of a force F to make a rigid body rotate about a fixed axis
perpendicular to the force depends upon the distance of F from that axis, as well as upon the magnitude
of F. The magnitude of MO measures the tendency of the force F to make the rigid body rotate about a
fixed axis directed along with MO. In the SI system of units, where a force is expressed in newtons (N) and
a distance in meters (m), the moment of a force is expressed in newton-meters (N・m). In the U.S.
customary system of units, where a force is expressed in pounds and a distance in feet or inches, the
moment of a force is expressed in lb・ft or lb・in.
For two-dimensional, the moment of F about a point O, which is chosen in the plane of the figure,
is represented by a vector MO perpendicular to that plane and of magnitude Fd.

a) A moment that tends to produce a counter-clockwise rotation is positive; (b) a moment that tends to produce a clockwise rotation
is negative.

Rectangular Components of the Moment of a Force

The distributive property of vector products is used to determine the moment of the resultant of
several concurrent forces.

The moment about a given point O of the resultant of several concurrent forces is equal to the
sum of the moments of the various forces about the same point O. This property is known as Varignon’s
theorem.

Varignon’s theorem says that the moment about point O of the resultant of these four forces
equals the sum of the moments about point O of the individual forces.
In determining the moment of a force in space is considerably simplified if the force and the
position vector of its point of application are resolved into rectangular x, y, and z components.

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 The moment MO about point O of a force F applied at point A is the vector product of the position
vector r and the force F, which can both be expressed in rectangular components.

where the components Mx, My, and Mz are defined by the relations

The moment MB about point B of a force F applied at point A is the vector product of the
position vector rA/B and force F.

Rectangular components of a moment

The scalar components Mx, My, and Mz of the moment MO measure the tendency of the force
F to impart to a rigid body rotation about the x, y, and z axes, respectively. The MO can also be determined
in the form of the determinant, as

To compute the moment MB about an arbitrary point B of a force F applied at A we must replace
the position vector r must be replaced by a vector drawn from B to A. This vector is the position vector of
A relative to B, denoted by rA/B.

Using determinants,

where xA/B, yA/B, and zA/B denote the components of the vector rA/B:

For two-dimensional, we can assume without loss of generality that the force F lies in the xy
plane. Set z = 0 and Fz = 0 , we obtain

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 In a two-dimensional problem, the moment MO of a force F applied at A in the xy plane reduces to the z component of the vector
product of r with F.
To compute the moment about B(xB, yB) of a force lying in the xy plane and applied at
A(xA, yA) , set zA/B = 0 and Fz = 0 and note that the vector MB is perpendicular to the xy plane and
is defined in magnitude and sense by the scalar

Moment of a force about an axis

We can extend the idea of the moment about a point to the often useful concept of the moment
about an axis. However, first, we need to introduce another tool of vector mathematics. We have noted
that the vector product multiplies two vectors together and produces a new vector. Here we examine the
scalar product, which multiplies two vectors together and produces a scalar quantity.
Scalar Products
The scalar product of two vectors P and Q is defined as the product of the magnitudes of P and Q
and the cosine of the angle (𝜃) formed between them. The scalar product of P and Q is denoted by P · Q

Two vectors P and Q and the angle θ between them.

Note that this expression is not a vector but a scalar, which explains the name scalar product.
Because of the notation used, P · Q is also referred to as the dot product of the vectors P and Q.

It follows from its very definition that the scalar product of two vectors is commutative, i.e., that

The scalar product uses a distributive property, thus

The scalar product of two vectors P and Q can also express in terms of their rectangular
components. Making use of the distributive property. Resolving P and Q into components,

Making use of the distributive property,

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 The scalar product,

Applications of the Scalar Product

1. An angle formed by two given vectors. Let two vectors be given in terms of their components:

2. Projection of a vector on a given axis. Consider a vector P forming an angle (𝜃) with an axis, or
directed line, OL. The projection of P on the axis OL as the scalar can be defined,

The projection POL is equal in absolute value to the length of the segment OA. It is positive if OA
has the same sense as the axis OL—that is, if θ is acute—and negative otherwise. If P and OL are at a right
angle, the projection of P on OL is zero

The scalar product can be express as,

Mixed Triple Products

The mixed triple product of the three vectors S, P, and Q as the scalar expression can be defined
as,

(a) The mixed triple product is equal to the magnitude of the cross product of two vectors multiplied by the projection of the third vector
onto that cross product; (b) the result equals the volume of the parallelepiped formed by the three vectors.

The mixed triple product of the vectors S, P, and Q can also express in terms of the rectangular
components of these vectors. Denoting P × Q by V and to express the scalar product of S and V thus,

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 The expression can also be written using the expansion of a determinant:

Moment of a Force about a Given Axis

The moment MOL of F about OL defines as the projection OC of the moment MO onto the axis OL.

The moment MOL of a force F about the axis OL is the projection on OL of the moment M O. The calculation involves the unit vector λ
along OL and the position vector r from O to A, the point upon which the force F acts.

It shows that the moment MOL of F about the axis OL is the scalar obtained by forming the mixed
triple product of λ, r, and F. The expression can also express in determinants form,

where λx, λy, λz = direction cosines of axis OL

x, y, z = coordinates of a point of application of F
Fx, Fy, Fz = components of force F

By resolving the force F into components parallel to the axis OL and in a plane perpendicular to the axis, we can show that the moment
MOL of F about O measures the tendency of F to rotate the rigid body about the axis.

The moment MOL of F about OL measures the tendency of the force F to impart to the rigid
body rotation about the fixed axis OL.

From the definition of the moment of a force about an axis, it follows that the moment of
F about a coordinate axis is equal to the component of MO along that axis. If we substitute each
of the unit vectors i, j, and k for λ, the expressions for the moments of F about the coordinate axes
can be obtained. The expressions are equal to the components of the moment MO of F about O:

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The moment about an arbitrary axis

The moment of a force F applied at A about an axis that does not pass through the origin by
choosing an arbitrary point B on the axis can be obtained and the projection on the axis BL of the moment
MB of F about B can be determined also, thus

where rA/B = rA – rB represents the vector drawn from B to A. Ewe can also express MBL in the form
of a determinant, we have

where 𝝀 x , 𝝀 y , 𝝀 z = direction cosines of axis BL

xA/B = xA − xB yA/B = yA − yB zA/B = zA − zB
Fx , Fy , Fz = components of force F

Examples:
1. A 20-lb force is applied to the control rod AB as shown. Knowing that the length of the rod is 9 in.
and that α = 25°, determine the moment of the force about Point B by resolving the force into
horizontal and vertical components.

Solution:

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2. It is known that the connecting rod AB exerts on the crank BC a 500-lb force directed down and
to the left along the centerline of AB. Determine the moment of the force about C.

Solution:

3. Determine the angle(𝜃) between the pipe segments BA and BC.

Solution:
Position Vectors: The position vectors rBA and rBC must be determined first.

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 Using vector dot product

4. Determine the magnitude of the projected component of the force F = 300 N acting along line OA.

Solution:

5. Determine the moment of the force F about an axis extending between A and C.

Solution:
Determine the position vector

Unit vector along axis AC

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 Using determinants

Exercises:

1. A 400-N force P is applied at Point A of the bell crank shown. (a) Compute the moment of the
force P about O by resolving it into components along line OA and in a direction perpendicular to
that line.

2. The 6-m boom AB has a fixed end A. A steel cable is stretched from the free end B of the boom to
a Point C located on the vertical wall. If the tension in the cable is 2.5 kN, determine the moment
about A of the force exerted by the cable at B.

3. Determine the magnitude of the projected component of the 3 kN force acting along the axis BC
of the pipe.

4. Determine the angle u between pipe segments BA and BC.

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 5. Determine the moment of the force F about an axis extending between A and C.

6. Determine the moment of force F about point O. The force has a magnitude of 800 N and
coordinate direction angles of 𝛼 = 60°, 𝛽 = 120°, 𝛾 = 45°.

References:

1. https://mathalino.com/reviewer/engineering-mechanics/example-002-components-of-a-force
2. http://ecoursesonline.iasri.res.in/mod/page/view.php?id=125329
3. Vector Mechanics for Engineers Statics and Dynamics by Beer, Johnston, Mazurek, Cornwell,
Self, 12th Edition
4. Engineering Mechanics Statics by Rusell C. Hibbeler, 14th Edition

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