EQUILIBRIUM

EQUILIBRIUM
For a body in equilibrium two conditions must be satisfied:
1. Net force on a body must be zero
→
The sum of the components of all the forces (acting on the body) in any
given direction must equal zero
𝑛𝑛

� 𝐹𝐹𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐 𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 = 0

1

2. The total moment of the all of the forces (in the system that is in equilibrium)
about any point must equal zero.
𝑛𝑛

� 𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝 =0

1
 Development of Argument for
Condition 1
Now if n forces act of a body then the net force on the body is:
𝐹𝐹𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛 = 𝐹𝐹1 + 𝐹𝐹2 + ⋯ . +𝐹𝐹𝑟𝑟 + ⋯ + 𝐹𝐹𝑛𝑛−1 + 𝐹𝐹𝑛𝑛

Now we can take each of these vectors and resolve them into a pair of
orthogonal vectors. So that the first equation changes.

𝐹𝐹𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛 = 𝐹𝐹1 + 𝐹𝐹2 + ⋯ . +𝐹𝐹𝑟𝑟 + ⋯ + 𝐹𝐹𝑛𝑛−1 + 𝐹𝐹𝑛𝑛

= 𝐹𝐹1 𝑎𝑎 + 𝐹𝐹1 𝑏𝑏 + 𝐹𝐹2 𝑎𝑎 + 𝐹𝐹2 𝑏𝑏 + ⋯ . + 𝐹𝐹𝑟𝑟 𝑎𝑎 + 𝐹𝐹𝑟𝑟 𝑏𝑏 + ⋯ + 𝐹𝐹𝑛𝑛−1 𝑎𝑎 + 𝐹𝐹𝑛𝑛−1 𝑏𝑏 + 𝐹𝐹𝑛𝑛 𝑎𝑎 + 𝐹𝐹𝑛𝑛 𝑏𝑏

= 𝐹𝐹1 𝑎𝑎 + 𝐹𝐹2 𝑎𝑎 + ⋯ . +𝐹𝐹𝑟𝑟 𝑎𝑎 + ⋯ + 𝐹𝐹𝑛𝑛−1 𝑎𝑎 + 𝐹𝐹𝑛𝑛 𝑎𝑎 + 𝐹𝐹1 𝑏𝑏 + 𝐹𝐹2 𝑏𝑏 + ⋯ . +𝐹𝐹𝑟𝑟 𝑏𝑏 + ⋯ + 𝐹𝐹𝑛𝑛−1 𝑏𝑏 + 𝐹𝐹𝑛𝑛 𝑏𝑏
Now for a system in equilibrium:
𝐹𝐹𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛 = 0

∴ 0 = 𝐹𝐹1 𝑎𝑎 + 𝐹𝐹1 𝑏𝑏 + 𝐹𝐹2 𝑎𝑎 + 𝐹𝐹2 𝑏𝑏 + ⋯ . + 𝐹𝐹𝑟𝑟 𝑎𝑎 + 𝐹𝐹𝑟𝑟 𝑏𝑏 + ⋯ + 𝐹𝐹𝑛𝑛−1 𝑎𝑎 + 𝐹𝐹𝑛𝑛−1 𝑏𝑏 + 𝐹𝐹𝑛𝑛 𝑎𝑎 + 𝐹𝐹𝑛𝑛 𝑏𝑏

= 𝐹𝐹1 𝑎𝑎 + 𝐹𝐹2 𝑎𝑎 + ⋯ . +𝐹𝐹𝑟𝑟 𝑎𝑎 + ⋯ + 𝐹𝐹𝑛𝑛−1 𝑎𝑎 + 𝐹𝐹𝑛𝑛 𝑎𝑎 + 𝐹𝐹1 𝑏𝑏 + 𝐹𝐹2 𝑏𝑏 + ⋯ . +𝐹𝐹𝑟𝑟 𝑏𝑏 + ⋯ + 𝐹𝐹𝑛𝑛−1 𝑏𝑏 + 𝐹𝐹𝑛𝑛 𝑏𝑏 = 0

𝑛𝑛 𝑛𝑛

0 = � 𝐹𝐹𝑟𝑟 𝑎𝑎 + � 𝐹𝐹𝑟𝑟 𝑏𝑏
𝑟𝑟=1 𝑟𝑟=1
Now in order for two vectors to have a sum of zero:

a) The one force vector must be equal and opposite

to the other but this requires therefore the two
vectors to be parallel – antiparallel.

b) The two vectors, if not along the same

direction, therefore must both be zero.
Note that the two vectors the effects were
deemed to be acting at right angles to each
other and therefore condition (a) cannot be
true.
Therefore the sum of vectors in either
direction (i.e. directions a and direction b) are
individually equal to zero.

𝑛𝑛 𝑛𝑛

∴ � 𝐹𝐹𝑟𝑟 𝑎𝑎 = 0 and ∴ � 𝐹𝐹𝑟𝑟 𝑏𝑏 = 0

𝑟𝑟=1 𝑟𝑟=1
Revision on Moments
 When the distance given is not the
perpendicular distance of the line of
action from the pivot you can find the
moment by resolving the force into
components
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