Force: Turning Effects of Force (Lesson 4)

Lesson objectives:

 Describe the moment of a force as a measure of its turning effect and give everyday
examples
 Understand that increasing force or distance from the pivot increases the moment
of a force
 Calculate moment using the product force × perpendicular distance from the pivot
 Apply the principle of moments to the balancing of a beam about a pivot
 Apply the principle of moments to different situations

Forces can make objects turn. This turning effect is called the moment of a force. A
turning effect about a turning point, called the pivot, can be calculated by multiplying
the magnitude of the force and the perpendicular distance of the force to the pivot.

M=Fd
M: Moments (Nm)
F: Force (N)
d: distance (m)
You may need to mention if the direction of the moments is clockwise or anticlockwise.

In the diagram above, the moment of the force is calculated by:

M = Fd
M = 10 x 0.50
M = 5 Nm in the clockwise direction.
(Can you see that the force will cause the rod to turn in the clockwise direction?)
 Some of the everyday effects of a turning effect of force:
 A person pushing a swing will make the swing rotate about its pivot.
 A worker applies a force to a spanner to rotate a nut.
 A person removes a bottle's cork by pushing down the bottle opener's lever.
 A force is applied to a door knob and the door swings open about its hinge.

The magnitude of the moment can be increased by:

 Increasing the magnitude of the force
 Increasing the perpendicular distance of the force from the pivot

That is why when you need to move a large and heavy object, it is easier to use a longer
rod than a short one because the longer distance will produce a bigger moment
required to move the object.

There can be more than one force acting on a system which produces a resultant force.

Worked Example 1 5N 7N

1m

5m

Total moments =5x1+7x5

= 40 Nm clockwise
Worked Example 2

2N 3N 1N

1m 4m
2m

Total or Resultant Moments =3x1+1x5–2x2

=3+5–4
= 4 Nm clockwise

(Note: the total clockwise moments is bigger than the total anti-clockwise moments, hence
the resultant moment will be clockwise. It has to be subtracted because the moments
caused by the 2N is acting in the opposite direction to the rest of the forces.)

The principle of moments states that for a body to be in equilibrium, the total
clockwise moments must be equal to the total anti-clockwise moment.

For the diagram above, if the system is balanced when the cat and the dog are both on
the plank, it means the system is in equilibrium. Applying the principle of moments,

Moment caused by the dog = moment caused by the cat

Sum of clockwise moment = sum of anti-clockwise moment

F2 x d2 = F1 x d1
Are the two dragons sitting on the plank in equilibrium / balanced?

Worked Example 3

If the above system is in equilibrium, calculate the value of d.

Solution

Applying the Principle of Moments,

Sum of clockwise moments = sum of anti-clockwise moment

30 x d = 10 x 6

d = (10 x 6) / 30

d=2m
Question 1

Find F.

Question 2

Find d.

Question 3

Find F.