UNIVERSITY OF THE CORDILLERAS COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE

MECH 1 STATICS OF RIGID BODIES

MODULE 1: CONCURRENT FORCES ON A PLANE

UNIT 2: PARALLELOGRAM LAW

UNIT 3: TRIANGLE LAW
 UNIT LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this unit, here are the following desired learning outcomes:
✘ Define composition and resolution of forces.
✘ Define the Parallelogram Law.
✘ Define the Triangle Law.

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 Discussion
The process of reducing a force system to a simpler equivalent system is
called composition. The process of expanding a force or a force system into a
less simple equivalent system is called resolution. A component of a force is
one of the two or more forces into which the given force may be resolved. The
anti-resultant or equilibrant of a force system is the simplest force system
that will balance the given system.

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 PARALLELOGRAM LAW
The parallelogram law is the fundamental principle on which the composition and resolution of forces
are based, The law may be stated as follows:

“If from a point vectors are drawn representing in direction and

magnitude two concurrent forces, and if a parallelogram is constructed
having these vectors as sides, the diagonal of the parallelogram drawn
from the point to the opposite vertex of the parallelogram is a vector
that represents in direction and magnitude the resultant of two
forces.”

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 TRIANGLE LAW
The triangle law is corollary of the parallelogram law. The law may be stated as follows:

“If vectors representing in magnitude and direction two concurrent

forces are drawn in order, and a triangle is constructed having these
vectors as sides, the third side of the triangle (the vector drawn from
the beginning of the first vector to the end of the second vector)
represents in magnitude and direction the resultant of the two forces”

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Discussion
For example, in Fig. 1a, P and Q are two forces acting on a rigid body MN. If, from any
point O in Fig. 1b, vectors OA and OB are laid off representing in magnitude and
direction the forces P and Q, the vector OC represents in magnitude and direction
(but not in line of action) the resultant R of the two forces.
If the point O is taken as the intersection of the action lines of P and Q, as in Fig. 1a,
then the diagonal represents the line of action of the resultant as well as its
magnitude and direction, since the action line of the resultant of two concurrent
forces must pass through the point of intersection of the action lines of the two
forces.
Thus in Fig. 1c, if OA and AC are vectors representing P and Q in magnitude and
direction, the vector OC (not CO) represents the resultant R of P and Q in
magnitude and direction but not in line of action. The line of action of the resultant
passes through O (Fig. 1a), as discussed under the parallelogram law. Although the
triangle law is essentially the same as the parallelogram law, its extension to more
that two forces, leading to the force polygon, frequently makes its use more
convenient than that of the parallelogram law.

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 Let’s review some concepts

“The “The triangle law

parallelogram becomes
and triangle law advantageous
can give the when there are
resultant of two now more than
or more forces.” two forces.”