Engineering Mechanics:

Statics

Chapter 2: Force Systems

Part A: Two Dimensional Force Systems

Force

Force = an action of one body on another

Vector quantity

External and Internal forces

Mechanics of Rigid bodies: Principle of Transmissibility

• Specify magnitude, direction, line of action
• No need to specify point of application

Concurrent forces
• Lines of action intersect at a point

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 2D Force Systems

Rectangular components
v are convenient for finding
the sum or resultant R of two (or more) forces which
are concurrent
v v v
R = F1 + F2 = (F1xˆi + F1y ˆj ) + (F2 xˆi + F2 y ˆj )
= (F1x + F2 x )ˆi + (F1y + F2 y )ˆj

Actual problems do not come with reference axes. Choose the most convenient one!

Moment

In addition to tendency to move a body
in the direction of its application, a force
tends to rotate a body about an axis.

The axis is any line which neither intersects
nor is parallel to the line of action

This rotational tendency is known as the

moment M of the force
 Proportional to force F and the
perpendicular distance from the axis
to the line of action of the force d
 The magnitude of M is

M = Fd

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 Moment

The moment is a vector M perpendicular to
the plane of the body.

Sense of M is determined by the right-hand
rule
 Direction of the thumb = arrowhead

 Fingers curled in the direction of the

rotational tendency

In a given plane (2D),we may speak of
moment about a point which means
moment with respect to an axis normal to
the plane and passing through the point.

+, - signs are used for moment directions –
must be consistent throughout the problem!

Moment

A vector approach for moment
calculations is proper for 3D problems.

Moment of F about point A maybe
represented by the cross-product

M=rxF
where r = a position vector from point A to
any point on the line of action of F

M = Fr sin α = Fd

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Example 2/5 (p. 40)

Calculate the magnitude of the moment

about the base point O of the 600-N
force by using both scalar and vector
approaches.

Problem 2/50
(a) Calculate the moment of the 90-N force
about point O for the condition θ = 15º.
(b) Determine the value of θ for which the
moment about O is (b.1) zero (b.2) a
maximum

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 Couple

Moment produced by two equal, opposite,
and noncollinear forces = couple

M = F(a+d) – Fa = Fd
 Moment of a couple has the same value
for all moment center

Vector approach

M = rA x F + rB x (-F) = (rA - rB) x F = r x F

 Couple M is a free vector

Couple

Equivalent couples
 Change of values F and d

 Force in different directions but parallel plane

 Product Fd remains the same

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 Force-Couple Systems

Replacement of a force by a force and a couple

Force F is replaced by a parallel force F and a
counterclockwise couple Fd

Example Replace the force by an equivalent system at point O

Also, reverse the problem by the replacement of
a force and a couple by a single force

Problem 2/76 (modified)

The device shown is a part of an automobile
seat-back-release mechanism.
The part is subjected to the 4-N force exerted at
A and a 300-N-mm restoring moment exerted
by a hidden torsional spring.
Find an equivalent force-couple system at
point O of the 4-N force

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 Resultants

The simplest force combination which can
replace the original forces without
changing the external effect on the rigid
body

Resultant = a force-couple system

v v v v v
R = F1 + F2 + F3 + K = ΣF

Rx = ΣFx , Ry = ΣFy , R = (ΣFx )2 + (ΣFy )2

Ry
θ = tan-1
Rx

Resultants

Choose a reference point (point O) and
move all forces to that point

Add all forces at O to form the resultant
force R and add all moment to form the
resultant couple MO

Find the line of action of R by requiring R to
have a moment of MO

v v
R = ΣF
MO = ΣM = Σ(Fd)
Rd = MO

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Problem 2/87
Replace the three forces acting on the bent pipe
by a single equivalent force R. Specify the
distance x from point O to the point on the x-axis
through which the line of action of R passes.

Problem 2/76
The device shown is a part of an automobile
seat-back-release mechanism.
The part is subjected to the 4-N force exerted at
A and a 300-N-mm restoring moment exerted
by a hidden torsional spring.
Determine the y-intercept of the line of action
of the single equivalent force.

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Force Systems

Part B: Three Dimensional Force Systems

Three-Dimensional Force System

Rectangular components in 3D
• Express in terms of unit vectors ˆi, ĵ, k̂

v
F = Fxˆi + Fy ˆj + Fz kˆ

Fx = F cos θ x , Fy = F cos θy , Fz = F cos θ z

F = Fx 2 + Fy 2 + Fz 2

• cosθx, cosθy , cosθz are the direction cosines

• cosθx = l, cosθy = m, cosθ z= n
v
F = F(liˆ + mjˆ + nkˆ)

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 Three-Dimensional Force System

Rectangular components in 3D
• If the coordinates of points A and B on the line
of action are known,
v
v v AB (x − x1)ˆi + (y 2 − y1)ˆj + (z2 − z1)kˆ
F = FnF = F =F 2
AB (x2 − x1)2 + (y 2 − y1)2 + ( z2 − z1)2

• If two angles θ and φ which orient the line of

action of the force are known,

Fxy = F cos φ , Fz = F sinφ

Fx = F cos φ cos θ , Fy = F cos φ sinθ

Problem 2/98

The cable exerts a tension of 2 kN on the fixed bracket at A.
Write the vector expression for the tension T.

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 Three-Dimensional Force System

Dot product
v v
P ⋅ Q = PQ cos α

 Orthogonal projection of Fcosα of F in the direction of Q

 Orthogonal projection of Qcosα of Q in the direction of F
v v

We can express Fx = Fcosθx of the force F as Fx = F ⋅ i
v v

If the projection of F in the n-direction is F ⋅ n

Example

Find the projection of T along the line OA

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Moment and Couple

Moment of force F about the axis through point O is

MO = r x F
 r runs from O to any point on the line of action of F
 Point O and force F establish a plane A
 The vector Mo is normal to the plane in the direction
established by the right-hand rule

Evaluating the cross product

ˆi ˆj kˆ
MO = rx ry rz
Fx Fy Fz

Moment and Couple

Moment about an arbitrary axis
v v v v v
Mλ = (r × F ⋅ n)n
known as triple scalar product (see appendix C/7)

The triple scalar product may be represented by the

determinant
rx ry rz
v
Mλ = Mλ = Fx Fy Fz
l m n
where l, m, n are the direction cosines of the unit vector n

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 Sample Problem 2/10
A tension T of magniture 10 kN is applied to the
cable attached to the top A of the rigid mast
and secured to the ground at B. Determine the
moment Mz of T about the z-axis passing through
the base O.

Resultants

A force system can be reduced to a resultant force and a
resultant couple
v v v v v
R = F1 + F2 + F3 L = ∑ F
v v v v v v
M = M1 + M2 + M3 + L = ∑(r × F)

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Problem 2/154

The motor mounted on the bracket is acted on by its 160-N
weight, and its shaft resists the 120-N thrust and 25-N.m couple
applied to it. Determine the resultant of the force system
shown in terms of a force R at A and a couple M.

Wrench Resultants

Any general force systems can be represented by a wrench

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Problem 2/143

Replace the two forces and single couple by an equivalent
force-couple system at point A

Determine the wrench resultant and the coordinate in the xy
plane through which the resultant force of the wrench acts

Resultants

Special cases
• Concurrent forces – no moments about point of
concurrency
• Coplanar forces – 2D
• Parallel forces (not in the same plane) – magnitude of
resultant = algebraic sum of the forces
• Wrench resultant – resultant couple M is parallel to the
resultant force R
• Example of positive wrench = screw driver

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Problem 2/151

Replace the resultant of the force system acting on the pipe
assembly by a single force R at A and a couple M

Determine the wrench resultant and the coordinate in the xy
plane through which the resultant force of the wrench acts

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