Instructional Materials: Engineering Mechanics

Overview
 Engineering Mechanics is the science which describes the conditions of rest or motion of
bodies under the action of forces.
 It is divided into two parts; statics and dynamics.
 Statics is the study of the effects of forces on bodies at rest or in a state of uniform motion.
 Dynamics is the study of particles and bodies in motion.
 It is divided into kinematics and kinetics.
 Kinematics is the study of motion without reference to the forces which cause the motion.
 Kinetics is the study of the effects of unbalanced forces on the motion of bodies which have
accelerated motion.
 Force, distance, time and mass are the fundamental quantities involved in the study of
engineering mechanics.
 The free-body diagram (FBD) is an aid or tool used in the analysis of problems in
engineering mechanics.
 It usually shows a body or its part isolated from physical contact with other bodies, drawn
together with all the forces acting on it and the applicable

General Objectives
At the end of the semester, the student must be able to:
1. Explain the principles of: 3D forces, static, wedge, and belt friction
2. Determine the centroids, centers of mass and gravity of objects, moment and mass moment
of inertia
3. Explain the principle of Newton’s 2nd Law of Motion and its applications
4. Explain the kinetics of particles in particular energy and momentum methods

CHAPTER 1: Concurrent Spatial Force Systems

 This chapter deals only with a concurrent spatial force system in which the lines of action of
all the forces in the system act through a common point.
 Topics covered in this chapter include review of two-dimensional coplanar force systems,
rectangular components of a spatial force, force acting through two points, resultant of a
concurrent spatial force system and equilibrium of a concurrent spatial force system.

Lesson 1: Introduction
 This lesson covers a brief review on coplanar force systems that have been discussed early in
the junior and senior high school years of the students.
 It is worthy to recall that coplanar force systems are two-dimensional force systems that lie
on the same plane and majority of the problems in mechanics involves forces in a plane.
 Some problems involve force systems in three-dimensional space called spatial force
systems.

Objectives
At the end of this lesson, the student must be able to:
1. Demonstrate the coplanar force systems through the aid of a free-body diagram.
2. Demonstrate the spatial force systems in a three-dimensional axes.
3. With the aid of the axes, explain and demonstrate the difference between the coplanar
force systems and the spatial force systems.

Self-assessment Test
1. Coplanar force system usually involves two axes. Name these two axes.
2. A single force that is equivalent to a given force system is called the ___________ of the
force system.
3. Name at least two methods of finding the vector sum of two or more vectors.
4. Spatial force system usually involves three axes. Name the third axis.
5. Find the resultant of the two forces. Force A is 250 N directed 30° above the positive x-
axis and force B is 325 N directed 60° below the negative x-axis. (4 points)

Content
This lesson starts with a review of a two-dimensional coplanar force systems, their
rectangular components, resultant and direction angles.
Summary
Resultant

 A system of coplanar forces acting on a rigid body may be replaced by a single equivalent
force called its resultant, which will produce the same mechanical effect to the rigid body as
the given system.

Rectangular Components

 Two mutually perpendicular components whose resultant is equal to a force are called the
rectangular components of the force.
 If the magnitude and direction angle of a force are known, then the rectangular components
are
Fx = F cos θ
Fy = F sin θ
Where the direction angle θ must be measured in the standard position.
 When the rectangular components of a force are given, the magnitude and direction of the
force may be determined from
F = √ F2x + F 2y

 And the reference angle  is

−1 F y
 = tan / F /¿
x
 The direction angle θ in the standard position can then be determined.

Component Method

 The resultant of any number of concurrent coplanar forces may be obtained by using the
component method.
 First, each force is resolved into the x and y components. Then the components of the
resultant can be determined from
Rx = ΣFx
Ry = ΣFy
 From the two components Rx and Ry, the magnitude and direction of the resultant R can be
determined.
 The line of action of the resultant R must pass through the common point of the given
concurrent force system.

Exercises
Post Test

1. Write the formula for finding the magnitude of the force given its rectangular
components.
2. How is the direction angle of the force measured?
3. How is the reference angle  computed?
4. Why does the line of action of the resultant R need to pass through the common point of a
given concurrent force system?
5. Solve the following problem: (4 Points)

Lesson 2: Rectangular Components of a Spatial Force

Introduction
 This lesson covers the rectangular components of a spatial force which involves three axes,
namely the x-, y-, and z- axes.
 Also discussed in this lesson is expressing a force in terms of its three rectangular
components along with solving the magnitude and direction angles of a force.

Objectives
At the end of this lesson, the student must be able to:
1. Express a force in terms of its rectangular components
2. Solve for the magnitude and direction angles of a force

Self-Assessment Test
1. A 400-lb force F acts in the direction defined by the direction angles θx=70° and θy=50°.
The z-component of the force is negative. Find the components of the force.

Content
 The rectangular components of a spatial force system are very similar to the coplanar force
systems only that another axis has been added in such a way that the force may now be
resolved into three components.

FIGURE 6-1
Summary

Exercises
Find the rectangular components of the forces shown in figures P6-3 and P6-4.