Beer 3e Ch03

Chapter 3
Rigid Bodies: Equivalent Systems of Forces

• Introduction.
• External and Internal Forces.
• Principle of Transmissibility: Equivalent Forces.
• Vector Products.
• Moment of a Force About a Point.
• Varignon’s Theorem.
• Rectangular Components of the Moment of a Force.
• Sample Problem 3.1.
• Scalar Products.
• Applications of the Scalar Product.
© McGraw Hill 1
• Mixed Triple Products.
• Moment of a Force About a Given Axis.
• Moment of a Couple.
• Addition of Couples.
• Couple Vectors.
• Resolution of a Force Into a Force at O and a Couple.
• Reducing a System of Forces to a Force-Couple System.
• Further Reduction of a System of Forces.
© McGraw Hill 2
Introduction
Treatment of a body as a single particle is not always possible. In general, the
size of the body and the specific points of application of the forces must be
considered.
Current chapter describes the effect of forces exerted on a rigid body and how to
replace a given system of forces with a simpler equivalent system.
First, we need to learn some new statics concepts, including:
• Moment of a force about a point.
• Moment of a force about an axis.
• Moment due to a couple.
Any system of forces acting on a rigid body can be replaced by an equivalent

system consisting of one force acting at a given point and one couple.
© McGraw Hill 3
External and Internal Forces 1
Forces acting on rigid bodies are divided into two groups:

• External forces.
• Internal forces.
© McGraw Hill 4
External and Internal Forces 2
• External forces are shown in a free body diagram.
• Internal forces, such as the force between each wheel and the
axle it is mounted on, would not be shown on a free body
diagram of the entire truck.
© McGraw Hill 5
Principle of Transmissibility: Equivalent
Forces 1
• Principle of Transmissibility - Conditions of equilibrium or

motion are not affected by transmitting a force along its line of
action. NOTE: F and F are equivalent forces.
Access the text alternative for slide images.
© McGraw Hill 6
Principle of Transmissibility: Equivalent
Forces 2
• Moving the point of application of the force F to the rear

bumper does not affect the motion or the other forces acting on
the truck.
© McGraw Hill 7
Vector Products 1
Concept of the moment of a force about a point requires the understanding of

the vector product or cross product.
Vector product of two vectors P and Q is defined as the vector V which
satisfies the following conditions:
1. Line of action of V is perpendicular to plane containing P and Q.
2. Magnitude of V is V = PQ sin θ.
3. Direction of V is obtained from the right-hand rule.
© McGraw Hill 8
Vector Products 2
Vector products:
• Are not commutative; however,
Q  P   P Q
• Are distributive,
P   Q1  Q2   P  Q1  P  Q2
• Are not associative,
 P  Q   S  P  Q  S 
© McGraw Hill 9
Vector Products: Rectangular
Components 1
• Vector products of Cartesian unit vectors:
ii 0 j  i  k k  i  j
i jk j j  0 k  j  i
i k   j jk  i kk  0
© McGraw Hill 10
Vector Products: Rectangular
Components 2
• Vector products in terms of rectangular coordinates
  
V  Px i  Py j  Pz k  Qx i  Qy j  Qz k 
  Py Qz  Pz Qy  i   Pz Qx  PxQz  j   PxQy  Py Qx  k
i j k
 Px Py Pz
Qx Qy Qz
© McGraw Hill 11
Moment of a Force About a Point 1
• A force vector is defined by its

magnitude and direction. Its effect on
the rigid body also depends on its point
of application.
• The moment of F about O is defined as,
MO  r  F
• The moment vector MO is perpendicular

to the plane containing O and the force F.
© McGraw Hill 12
• Magnitude of MO, MO = rF sin θ = Fd,

measures the tendency of the force to
cause rotation of the body about an axis
along MO. The sense of the moment
may be determined by the right-hand
rule.
• Any force F′ that has the same
magnitude and direction as F is
equivalent if it also has the same line of
action and therefore, produces the same
moment.
© McGraw Hill 13
• Two-dimensional structures have length and breadth but negligible

depth and are subjected to forces contained only in the plane of the
structure.
• The plane of the structure contains the point O and the force F.
MO, the moment of the force about O, is perpendicular to the plane.

© McGraw Hill 14
• If the force tends to rotate the structure counterclockwise, the sense of the
moment vector is out of the plane of the structure and the magnitude of
the moment is positive.
• If the force tends to rotate the structure clockwise, the sense of the
moment vector is into the plane of the structure and the magnitude of the
moment is negative.

© McGraw Hill 15
Varignon’s Theorem
• The moment about a given point O of the resultant of several
concurrent forces is equal to the sum of the moments of the
various forces about the same point O.
      
r  F1  F2    r  F1  r  F2  
• Varignon’s Theorem makes it possible to replace the direct
determination of the moment of a force F by determining the
moments of two or more component forces of F.
© McGraw Hill 16
Rectangular Components of the Moment
of a Force 1
The moment of F about O:

M O  r  F , with r  xi  yj  zk
F  Fx i  Fy j  Fz k
Then
M O  M xi  M y j  M z k
i j k
 x y z
Fx Fy Fz
  yFz  zFy  i   zFx  xFz  j   xFy  yFx  k
The components of M O , Mx, My, and Mz, represent the moments

about the x, y, and z axis, respectively.
© McGraw Hill 17
of a Force 2
The moment of F about B,
M B  rA/ B  F
rA/ B  rA  rB
  x A  xB  i   y A  y B  j   z A  z B  k
F  Fx i  Fy j  Fz k
i j k
M B   x A  xB   y A  yB   z A  zB 
Fx Fy Fz
© McGraw Hill 18
of a Force 3
For two-dimensional structures,
M O   xFy  yFx  k
MO  M Z
 xFy  yFx Access the text alternative for slide images.
M B    x A  xB  Fy   y A  yB  Fx  k
M B   x A  xB  Fy   y A  yB  Fx
© McGraw Hill 19
Sample Problem 3.1 1
A 100-lb vertical force is applied to the end of a lever that is attached

to a shaft (not shown) at O.
Determine:
a) the moment about O,
© McGraw Hill 20
b) the horizontal force at A that creates

the same moment,
c) the smallest force at A that produces
the same moment,
d) the location for a 240-lb vertical
force to produce the same moment,
e) whether any of the forces from b, c,
and d is equivalent to the original
force.
© McGraw Hill 21
STRATEGY: The calculations asked for all involve variations on the

basic defining equation of a moment, MO = Fd.
MODELING and ANALYSIS:

a) Moment about O is equal to the
product of the force and the
perpendicular distance between
the line of action of the force
and O. Since the force tends to
rotate the lever clockwise, the
moment vector is into the plane
of the paper which, by our sign
convention, would be negative.
© McGraw Hill 22
M O  Fd
d   24in. cos 60  12 in.
M O  100 lb 12 in.
M O  1200 lb  in., or
 1200 lb  in.
© McGraw Hill 23
b) Horizontal force at A that produces the same moment:
d   24 in.sin60  20.8 in.
M O  Fd
1200 lb  in.  F 20.8 in.
1200 lb  in.
F
20.8 in.
F  57.7 lb
Why must the direction of this F be to the right?

© McGraw Hill 24
What is the smallest force at A that produces the same

moment? Think about it and discuss with a neighbor.
© McGraw Hill 25
c) The smallest force at A to produce the same moment occurs

when the perpendicular distance is a maximum or when F is
perpendicular to OA.
M O  Fd
1200 lb  in.  F  24 in.
1200 lb  in.
F
24 in.
F  50 lb
© McGraw Hill 26
d) To determine the point of application of a 240 lb force to produce

the same moment,
M O  Fd
1200 lb  in.  240 lb d
1200 lb  in.
d  5 in.
240 lb
OB cos60  5 in.
OB  10 in.
© McGraw Hill 27
e) Although each of the forces in parts b, c, and d produces the same moment as
the 100 lb force, none are of the same magnitude and sense, or on the same
line of action. Thus, none of the forces is equivalent to the 100 lb force.
Access the text alternative for slide images. Access the text alternative for slide images. Access the text alternative for slide images.
© McGraw Hill 28
REFLECT and THINK:

Various combinations of force and lever arm can produce
equivalent moments, but the system of force and moment produces
a different overall effect in each case.
© McGraw Hill 29
The rectangular plate is supported by the brackets at A and B and by

a wire CD. Knowing that the tension in the wire is 200 N,
determine the moment about A of the force exerted by the wire at C.
© McGraw Hill 30
STRATEGY: The solution requires resolving the tension in the

wire and the position vector from A to C into rectangular
components. You will need a unit vector approach to determine the
force components.
The moment MA of the force F exerted by the wire is obtained by
evaluating the vector product,
  
M A  rC A  F
© McGraw Hill 31
  
M A  rC A  F
rC A  rC  rA   0.3 m  i   0.08 m  k
rC D
F  F    200 N 
rC D
  0.3 m  i   0.24 m  j   0.32 m  k

  200 N 
0.5 m
   120 N  i   96 N  j   128 N  k Access the text alternative for slide images.
  
i j k

M A  0.3 0 0.08
 120 96  128
M A    7.68 N  m  i   28.8 N  m  j   28.8 N  m  k

© McGraw Hill 32
REFLECT and THINK:

Two-dimensional problems often are solved easily using a scalar
approach, but the versatility of a vector analysis is quite apparent in
a three-dimensional problem such as this.
© McGraw Hill 33
Scalar Products 1
• The scalar product or dot product between two vectors P and Q

is defined as,
P  Q  PQ cos   scalar result 
Scalar products:
• are commutative, P  Q  Q  P
• are distributive, P   Q1  Q2   P  Q1  P  Q2
• are not associative,  P  Q   S  undefined
© McGraw Hill 34
Scalar Products 2
• Scalar products with Cartesian rectangular components,
 
P  Q  Px i  Py j  Pz k  Qx i  Qy j  Qz k 
i i 1 j  j 1 k k 1 i  j  0 j k  0 k i  0
P  Q  Px Qx  Py Qy  Pz Qz
P  P  Px2  Py2  Pz2  P 2
© McGraw Hill 35
Applications of the Scalar Product 1
• Angle between two vectors:
P  Q  PQ cos   PxQx  Py Qy  Pz Qz
Px Qx  Py Qy  Pz Qz
cos  
PQ
© McGraw Hill 36
• Projection of a vector on a given axis:
POL  P cos   projection of P along OL
P  Q  PQ cos 
P Q
 P cos   POL
Q
© McGraw Hill 37
• For an axis defined by a unit vector:

POL  P  
 Px cos  x  Py cos  y  Pz cos  z
© McGraw Hill 38
Mixed Triple Products 1
• Mixed triple product of three vectors,
 
S  P  Q  scalar result
© McGraw Hill 39
Mixed Triple Products 2
• The six mixed triple products formed from S, P, and Q have

equal magnitudes but not the same sign,
  
S  PQ  P Q S  Q S  P   
    
  S  Q  P   P  S  Q  Q  P  S 
• Evaluating the mixed triple product,
 
S  P  Q  S x  Py Qz  Pz Qy   S y  Pz Qx  PxQz   S z  PxQy  Py Qx 
Sx Sy Sz
 Px Py Pz
Qx Qy Qz
© McGraw Hill 40
Moment of a Force About a Given Axis 1
• Moment MO of a force
F applied at the point A
about a point O,
  
MO  r  F
• Scalar moment MOL about
an axis OL is the projection
of the moment vector MO
onto the axis,
    
M OL    M O    r  F 
© McGraw Hill 41
• Moments of F about the

coordinate axes,
M x  yFz  zFy
M y  zFx  xFz
M z  xFy  yFx
© McGraw Hill 42
• Moment of a force
about an arbitrary axis,

M BL    M B    rA B  F 
rA B  rA  rB
• The result is independent of

the point B along the given
axis. For example, the same
result can be obtained using
rA C .
© McGraw Hill 43
A cube is acted upon by a force P as shown. Determine the moment of P

a) about A.
b) about the edge AB.
c) about the diagonal AG of the cube.
d) Determine the perpendicular distance between AG and FC.
© McGraw Hill 44
STRATEGY: Use the equations presented in this section to

compute the moments asked for. You can find the perpendicular
distance between AG and FC from the expression for the moment
MAG.
© McGraw Hill 45

a) Moment of P about A,
M A  rF A  P
rF A  ai  a j  a  i  j 

P P/ 2  j  P / 2  k

 P/ 2   jk 
MA  a  i  j    P / 2   j  k  Consider an alternative to the position
vector rF A , and discuss your answer
M A  aP / 2  i  j k  with a neighbor.
© McGraw Hill 46
b) Moment of P about AB,
M AB  i  M A

 i  aP / 2  i  j k 
M AB  aP / 2
© McGraw Hill 47
c) Moment of P about the diagonal AG,
M AG    M A
ai  aj  ak
 
rG A 1
   i  j k
rG A a 3 3
MA 
aP
2

i  j k 
M AG 
1
3

i  j k 
aP
2

i  j k  
What if, for  , you had chosen rA/G
aP
 111 instead? How would that change the
6
answer?
aP
M AG  
6
© McGraw Hill 48
d) Perpendicular distance between AG

and FC. First check that AG and FC
are perpendicular:
P 
P
2
 
j k 
1
3
i  j k 
P
  0 11
6
0
Therefore, P is perpendicular to AG.
© McGraw Hill 49
The perpendicular distance

between AG and FC is then,
aP a
M AG   Pd d
6 6
REFLECT and THINK: In a problem like this, it is important to

visualize the forces and moments in three dimensions so you can
choose the appropriate equations for finding them and also
recognize the geometric relationships between them.
© McGraw Hill 50
Moment of a Couple 1
• Two forces F and −F having the same magnitude, parallel lines

of action, and opposite sense are said to form a couple.
© McGraw Hill 51
• Moment of the couple,
M  rA  F  rB   F  
  rA  rB   F
 r F
M  rF sin   Fd
• The moment vector of the

couple is independent of the
choice of the origin of the
coordinate axes, that is, it is a
free vector that can be applied at
any point with the same effect.
© McGraw Hill 52
Two couples will have equal moments if,

F1d1  F2 d 2
• the two couples lie in parallel planes, and,
• the two couples have the same sense or the tendency to cause rotation in the
same direction.
© McGraw Hill 53
Addition of Couples 1
• Consider two intersecting

planes P1 and P2 with each
containing a couple,
M 1  r  F1 in plane P1
M 2  r  F2 in plane P2
• Resultant of the vectors
also forms a couple,

M  r  R  r  F1  F2 
• By Varignon’s theorem:
M  r  F1  r  F2  M 1  M 2
© McGraw Hill 54
Addition of Couples 2
• Sum of two couples is also a couple that is equal to the vector

sum of the two couples.
© McGraw Hill 55
Couple Vectors
• A couple can be represented by a vector with magnitude and

direction equal to the moment of the couple.
• Couple vectors obey the law of addition of vectors.
• Couple vectors are free vectors, i.e., there is no fixed point of
application – it simply acts on the body.
• Couple vectors may be resolved into component vectors.
© McGraw Hill 56
Resolution of a Force Into a Force at O
and a Couple 1
• Force vector F can not be simply moved to O without modifying

its effect on the body.
• Attaching equal and opposite force vectors at O produces no net
change of effect on the body.
• The three forces may be replaced by an equivalent force vector
and couple vector, that is, a force-couple system.
© McGraw Hill 57
Resolution of a Force Into a Force at O
and a Couple 2
• Moving the force-couple system from O to O requires the addition of the

moment of the force at O about O.
M O   r  F
• The moments of F about O and O are related,
M O   r  F   r  s   F  r  F  s  F
 MO  s  F
• Moving F from A to a different point O requires the addition of a different
couple vector M O .
© McGraw Hill 58
Determine the components of the single couple equivalent to the

two couples shown.
© McGraw Hill 59
STRATEGY:
Look for ways to add equal and opposite forces to the diagram that,
along with already known perpendicular distances, will produce
new couples with moments along the coordinate axes. These can be
combined into a single equivalent couple.
© McGraw Hill 60
MODELING:
Attach equal and opposite 20 lb
forces in the ±x direction at A,
thereby producing three couples
for which the moment
components are easily
computed.
© McGraw Hill 61
ANALYSIS:
You can represent these three
couples by three couple vectors
Mx, My, and Mz directed along
the coordinate axes. The
corresponding moments are,
M x    30 lb 18 in.  540 lb  in.
M y    20 lb 12 in.  240lb  in.
M z    20 lb  9 in.  180 lb  in.
M    540 lb  in.  i   240 lb  in.  j   180 lb  in.  k
© McGraw Hill 62
REFLECT and THINK:

You can also obtain the
components of the equivalent
single couple M by computing
the sum of the moments of the
four given forces about an
arbitrary point. Selecting point
D, the moment is,
M  M D   18 in.  j   30 lb  k    9 in.  j   12 in.  k    20 lb  i
M  540 lb  in.i   240 lb  in. j  180 lb  in.k

Reducing System of Forces to a Force-
Couple System 1
• A system of forces may be replaced by a collection of force-

couple systems acting at a given point O.
• The force and couple vectors may be combined into a resultant
force vector and a resultant couple vector,
R  F 
M OR   r  F 
© McGraw Hill 64
Reducing System of Forces to a Force-
Couple System 2
• The force-couple system

at O may be moved to O
with the addition of the
moment of R about O,
M OR '  M OR  s  R
• Two systems of forces are

equivalent if they can be
reduced to the same force-
couple system.
© McGraw Hill 65
Further Reduction of a System of Forces 1
If the resultant force and couple at

O are mutually perpendicular, they
can be replaced by a single force
acting along a new line of action.
The resultant force-couple system
for a system of forces will be
mutually perpendicular if:
1. the forces are concurrent,
2. the forces are coplanar, or,
3. the forces are parallel.
© McGraw Hill 66
• System of coplanar forces is reduced to a force-couple system

 R
R and M O that is mutually perpendicular.
• System can be reduced to a single force by moving the line of

action of R until its moment about O becomes M OR .
© McGraw Hill 67
• In terms of rectangular coordinates,
xR y  yRx  M OR
© McGraw Hill 68
For the beam, reduce the system of forces shown to

(a) an equivalent force-couple system at A,
(b) an equivalent force couple system at B,
(c) a single force or resultant.
Note: Since the support reactions are not included, the given
system will not maintain the beam in equilibrium.
© McGraw Hill 69
STRATEGY:
The force part of an equivalent force-couple system is simply the
sum of the forces involved. The couple part is the sum of the
moments caused by each force relative to the point of interest.
Once you find the equivalent force-couple at one point, you can
transfer it to any other point by a moment calculation.
© McGraw Hill 70

a) Compute the resultant force and the resultant couple at A.
R F
  150 N  j   600 N  j   100 N  j   250 N  j
R    600 N  j
M AR   r  F  
  1.6 i    600 j    2.8 i    100 j 
  4.8 i    250 j 
M AR    1880 N  m  k
© McGraw Hill 71
b) Find an equivalent force-couple system at B based on the

force-couple system at A.
The force is unchanged by the movement of the force-couple
system from A to B.
 
R  600 N j
© McGraw Hill 72
The couple at B is equal to the

moment about B of the force-
couple system found at A.
M BR  M AR  rA B  R
   1880 N  m  k   4.8 m  i   600 N  j
   1880 N  m  k   2880 N  m  k
M BR    1000 N  m  k
Access the text alternative for slide images. Access the text alternative for slide images.
© McGraw Hill 73
c) The resultant of the given system of forces is equal to R, and its

point of application must be such that the moment of R about A
is equal to M RA . This equality of moments leads to,
r  R  M RA
xi   600 N j  1880 N  mk
 x600 Nk  1880 N  mk
Solving for x, you get x = 3.13 m. Thus, the single force equivalent
to the given system is defined as
R  600 N , x  3.13 m
© McGraw Hill 74
REFLECT and THINK:

This reduction of a given system of forces to a single equivalent
force uses the same principles that you will use later for finding
centers of gravity and centers of mass, which are important
parameters in engineering mechanics.
© McGraw Hill 75
Three cables are attached to the bracket as shown. Replace the

forces with an equivalent force-couple system at A.
© McGraw Hill 76
STRATEGY:
• Determine the relative position vectors for the points of
application of the cable forces with respect to A.
• Resolve the forces into rectangular components.
• Compute the equivalent force,
R F
• Compute the equivalent couple,

M AR   r  F 
© McGraw Hill 77

Determine the relative position
vectors with respect to A.
rB A  0.075 i  0.050k  m 
rC A  0.075 i  0.050k  m 
rD A  0.100 i  0.100 j  m 
© McGraw Hill 78
• Resolve the forces into

rectangular components.
FB   700 N  
rE B 75 i  150 j  50k
 
rE B 175
 0.429 i  0.857 j  0.286k

FB  300 i  600 j  200k N
 
FC   1000 N  cos 45 i  cos 45 k  707 i  707k N
FD   1200 N   cos 60 i  cos 30 j   600 i  1039 j N
© McGraw Hill 79
• Compute the equivalent force,
R  F
  300  707  600  i   600  1039  j   200  707  k
   
R  1607 i  439 j  507 k N
© McGraw Hill 80
• Compute the equivalent couple,


M AR   r  F 
i j k
rB A  F B  0.075 0 0.050  30i  45k
300 600 200
i j k
rC A  F c  0.075 0 0.050  17.68 j
707 0 707
i j k
rD A  F D  0.100 0.100 0  163.9k
600 1039 0
R   
M A  30 i  17.68 j  118.9k N  m
© McGraw Hill 81
REFLECT and THINK:

The determinant approach to calculating moments shows its
advantages in a general three-dimensional problem such as this.
© McGraw Hill 82

Beer 3e Ch03

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Beer 3e Ch03

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Chapter 3

Rigid Bodies: Equivalent Systems of Forces

Any system of forces acting on a rigid body can be replaced by an equivalent

Forces acting on rigid bodies are divided into two groups:

• External forces are shown in a free body diagram.

• Principle of Transmissibility - Conditions of equilibrium or

Access the text alternative for slide images.

• Moving the point of application of the force F to the rear

Concept of the moment of a force about a point requires the understanding of

Access the text alternative for slide images.

• Are not associative,

• Vector products of Cartesian unit vectors:

• Vector products in terms of rectangular coordinates

• A force vector is defined by its

• The moment vector MO is perpendicular

• Magnitude of MO, MO = rF sin θ = Fd,

• Two-dimensional structures have length and breadth but negligible

Access the text alternative for slide images.

Access the text alternative for slide images.

The moment of F about O:

The components of M O , Mx, My, and Mz, represent the moments

The moment of F about B,

Access the text alternative for slide images.

For two-dimensional structures,

 xFy  yFx Access the text alternative for slide images.

Access the text alternative for slide images.

A 100-lb vertical force is applied to the end of a lever that is attached

b) the horizontal force at A that creates

STRATEGY: The calculations asked for all involve variations on the

MODELING and ANALYSIS:

d   24in. cos 60  12 in.

M O  100 lb 12 in.

b) Horizontal force at A that produces the same moment:

d   24 in.sin60  20.8 in.

Why must the direction of this F be to the right?

What is the smallest force at A that produces the same

Access the text alternative for slide images.

c) The smallest force at A to produce the same moment occurs

Access the text alternative for slide images.

d) To determine the point of application of a 240 lb force to produce

REFLECT and THINK:

The rectangular plate is supported by the brackets at A and B and by

STRATEGY: The solution requires resolving the tension in the

  0.3 m  i   0.24 m  j   0.32 m  k

M A    7.68 N  m  i   28.8 N  m  j   28.8 N  m  k

REFLECT and THINK:

• The scalar product or dot product between two vectors P and Q

• Scalar products with Cartesian rectangular components,

• Angle between two vectors:

• Projection of a vector on a given axis:

POL  P cos   projection of P along OL

Access the text alternative for slide images.

• For an axis defined by a unit vector:

Access the text alternative for slide images.

• Mixed triple product of three vectors,

Access the text alternative for slide images.

• The six mixed triple products formed from S, P, and Q have

Access the text alternative for slide images.

• Moments of F about the

Access the text alternative for slide images.

• The result is independent of

Access the text alternative for slide images.

A cube is acted upon by a force P as shown. Determine the moment of P

Access the text alternative for slide images.