EXPERIMENT 1

Engineering Statistics
Name: Muhammad Sameer Arif Reg No: BSMET-01193001

OBJECTIVE
To verify the conditions of equilibrium for the forces acting at a point by resolving the forces into
components

APPARATUS
Universal frame fitted with two pulleys and a framed board, Hangers, Weights, Piece of string,
Steel ruler, Sheet of paper, Scotch Tape, Pencil, Protector

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
If an object is not accelerated, that is, if it is either at rest or moving in a straight line at a fixed
speed, relative to a proper coordinate system, the body is said to be in equilibrium. If the body is
acted upon only by concurrent forces (i.e., forces whose lines of action intersect at a point) a single
condition is necessary and sufficient for equilibrium. which is that the vector sum of the concurrent
forces must be zero (i.e ∑ Fx= 0 and ∑ Fy= 0).
 Vector representation of this experiment is shown in figure. Resolving the forces W1, W2 and W3
into components gives:
W1x= W1 Cos(α-90)
W1y =W1 Sin (α -90)
W2x= -W2 Cos (β -90)
W2y =W2 Sin(β-90)
W3y = -W3

NOTE:
W3x is equal to zero as W3 is along y-axis.

Applying the Condition of Equilibrium

∑ Fx= 0
W1x – W2x = 0 → W1x = W2x
∑ Fy= 0
W1y +W2y -- W3y = 0 → W1y +W2y = W3y

So, in order to maintain the equilibrium in this case above equations should be satisfied.

PROCEDURE

1. With the help of scotch tape fix the paper sheet on the front side of the framed board.
2. Pass two strings over the pulleys leaving the third string hanging downward.
3. Attach hangers to the ends of strings and add suitable weights.
4. Note the values of weights W1, W2 and W3.
5. With the help of pencil mark the position of point of concurrency and also position of
strings on the sheet
6. Detach the paper sheet, join the points to show the lines of forces and measure the included
angles α and β.
7. Prove the followings relations as derived above

W1x = W2x
W1y +W2y = W3y
OBSERVATIONS

Sr W1 W2 W3 α β W1y
W1x W2x W1y W2y W3y
No. (N) (N) (N) (Degree) (Degree) +W2y

1 0.392 0.292 0.392 130° 120° 0.3002 0.3001 0.251 0.147 0.251+ 0.398
0.147
2 0.292 0.292 0.292 120° 120° 0.254 0.254 0.254 0.154 0.254+ 0.408
0.154
3 0.392 0.392 0.392 130° 130° 0.3001 0.3002 0.258 0.157 0.258+ 0.415
0.157