MECHANICS OF DEFORMABLE

BODIES
 MODULE 1-1
ANALYSIS OF INTERNAL
FORCES
ANALYSIS OF INTERNAL FORCES

𝐹! 𝐹"

Passing an exploratory
section through the
body and exposing the
internal forces acting on
the exploratory section.

𝐹$ 𝐹#
 y

The internal forces reduce to a force and

𝐹! 𝑀!" a couple that, for convenience, are
resolved into components that are
normal and tangent to the section.
𝑃!"
x
o 𝑃!! 𝑀!! The origin of the reference axes is
𝑃!# always taken at the centroid which is the
key reference point of the section.

𝐹$ 𝑀!#
z
 y
Normal Force

This component measures the pulling or pushing

𝐹! 𝑀!" action perpendicular to the section.

Axial Force
𝑃!"
Any force acting along the centroidal axis of a
x body.
o 𝑃!! Note:
𝑀!! Axial Force is always a Normal Force but
𝑃!# Normal Force is not always an Axial Force

𝐹$ 𝑀!#
z

A pull represents a tensile force that tends to Compression Tension

elongate the member, whereas a push is a
Contraction Elongation
compressive force that tends to shorten it.
 y

Shear Forces

𝐹! 𝑀!"
These are components of the total resistance to
sliding the portion to one side of the exploratory
𝑃!" section past the other.

x
o 𝑃!! 𝑀!!
𝑃!#

𝐹$ 𝑀!#
z
 y

Torque

𝐹! 𝑀!"
This component measures the resistance to
twisting the member.
𝑃!"
Measure of the force that can cause an object to
x rotate about an axis.
o 𝑃!! 𝑀!!
𝑃!#

𝐹$ 𝑀!#
z
 y

Bending Moments

𝐹! 𝑀!"
This component measures the resistance of
bending the member about the y or z axes.
𝑃!"
x
o 𝑃!! 𝑀!!
𝑃!#

𝐹$ 𝑀!#
z
Source:

• Strength of Materials Fourth Edition by Andrew Pytel & Ferdinand L. Singer