30/09/2014

FORCES & MOMENTS

Resolving Forces in a Plane Into Rectangular Components – Unit Vector Approach
The force is expressed as a product of its magnitude and it’s unit vector.

 xi  yj 
j

F  F  F  
 x2  y2 
 
 xi   yj 
 F   F 
F
y
 x  y2
2   x  y2
2 
   
 
  Fi  Fj
i
x
 Fx 
 x  cos 1  
F
DDEK/2014/ ME 161 - BASIC MECHANICS # 51

FORCES & MOMENTS

Resolving Forces in Space Into Rectangular Components – Unit Vector Approach
For 3-Dimensions,
j

  xi  yj  zk 
B
F  F  F  
 x2  y2  z 2 
 
A   
y
F
 Fi  Fj  Fk
y
 Fy 
 y  cos 1  

O i
z  
F
k C
x

DDEK/2014/ ME 161 - BASIC MECHANICS # 52

1
 30/09/2014

FORCES & MOMENTS

Example 2.6
Find the components of the forces shown using the unit vector approach.
y

800

800 N 600

424 N
400 N
900

560 480

DDEK/2014/ ME 161 - BASIC MECHANICS # 53

FORCES & MOMENTS

Example 2.6-Solution

y
  xi  yj 
800 F  F  F  
 x2  y2 
 

800 N 600
  800i  600 j  800i 600 j
F1  800   800.  800.  640i  480 j
2 
 800  600  1000 1000
2

x    560i  900 j 
F2  424   224i  360 j
2 
 560  900 
424 N 2
400 N
900
  480i  900 j 
F3  408   192i  360 j
2 
 480  900 
2

560 480

DDEK/2014/ ME 161 - BASIC MECHANICS # 54

2
 30/09/2014

FORCES & MOMENTS

Example
The cable stays AB and AD help support pole AC. Knowing that the tension is 120 N in AB and
40 N in AD, determine the components of the forces in the stays using the force unit vector
approach.

10 cm

8 cm 6 cm

DDEK/2014/ ME 161 - BASIC MECHANICS # 55

FORCES & MOMENTS

Example 2.8
A rectangular plate is supported by three cables as shown. Knowing that the tension in
cables AC, AB and AD are 60 N, 80 N and 90 N respectively, determine the components of
the force being exerted at C, B and D.

DDEK/2014/ ME 161 - BASIC MECHANICS # 56

3
 30/09/2014

FORCES & MOMENTS

Example 2.7
A transmission tower is held by three guy wired anchored by bolts B, C and D. If the tension in
wire AD is 315 lb, determine the components of the force exerted by the wire on the bolt at D.

DDEK/2014/ ME 161 - BASIC MECHANICS # 57

FORCES & MOMENTS

Resultants by Summing Components
 Sum all like components to get the components of the resultant.
  
R  Rx  R y   Fx   Fy
y

  
R  ( Px  Qx  S x )i  ( Py  Q y  S y ) j
Pyj
The magnitude of the Resultant Force is given by;
P
R  Rx  R y
2 2
Pxi
Sxi Qxi x And the direction;
 Rx 
 x  cos 1 
S Q

 R

Syj Qyj

DDEK/2014/ ME 161 - BASIC MECHANICS # 58

4
 30/09/2014

FORCES & MOMENTS

Resultants by Summing Components
 Like components are summed to obtain the components of the resultant.
   
R  Rx  R y  Rz   Fx   Fy   Fz
         
R  ( Px  Qx  S x )  ( Py  Q y  S y )  ( Pz  Qz  S z )
OR
   
R  ( P  Q  S )i  ( P  Q  S ) j  ( P  Q  S ) k
The magnitude of the Resultant Force is given by;
R  Rx  R y  Rz  Ri  R j  Rk
2 2 2 2 2 2

And the direction;

 Rx   Ry   Rz 
 x  cos 1  ,  y  cos 1  ,  z  cos 1  
 R  R  R

DDEK/2014/ ME 161 - BASIC MECHANICS # 59

FORCES & MOMENTS

Example
Find components of the forces shown using the unit vector approach.
y

800

800 N 600

424 N
400 N
900

560 480

DDEK/2014/ ME 161 - BASIC MECHANICS # 60

5
 30/09/2014

FORCES & MOMENTS

Example Solution
  xi  yj 
F  F  F  

y  x2  y2
 
800

  800i  600 j 
F1  800   800. 800i  800. 600 j  640i  480 j
  1000 1000
 800  600
2 2
800 N 600 
   560i  900 j 
F2  424  224i  360 j
 
 560 2  900 2 
x
  480i  900 j 
424 N F3  408  192i  360 j
400 N  
900  480 2  900 2 


Resultant, F   Fi   Fj 640  224  192i  480  360  360 j
 608i  240 j
560 480

The magnitude of the Resultant, F  6082  (240) 2  558.63 N

DDEK/2014/ ME 161 - BASIC MECHANICS # 61

FORCES & MOMENTS

Example
The cable stays AB and AD help support pole AC. Knowing that the tension is 120 N in AB and
40 N in AD, determine the magnitude and direction of the resultant of the forces exerted by the
stays at A.

10 cm

8 cm 6 cm

DDEK/2014/ ME 161 - BASIC MECHANICS # 62

6
 30/09/2014

FORCES & MOMENTS

Example - Solution
  
F   Fx   Fy

F1x  F1 sin   40 sin 31o  20.6 N

A F1 y  F1 cos   40 cos 31o  34.29 N

F2 x  F2 sin   120 sin 38.7 o  75.03 N

F1  120 N F2 y  F2 cos   120 cos 38.7 o  93.65 N
31o F2  40 N 
38.7o
F  (20.6  75.03) x  (35.29  93.65) y  54.43 x  128.94 y
F  (54.432  (128.94) 2  139.96 N
B D
 Fx  1   54.43 
 x  cos 1     cos  
F  139.96 

DDEK/2014/ ME 161 - BASIC MECHANICS # 63

FORCES & MOMENTS

Example
The guy cables AB and AC are attached to the top of the transmission tower. The tension in the
cable AC is 8 kN and that of AB is 5 kN. Determine the magnitude R of the resultant of the
forces.

DDEK/2014/ ME 161 - BASIC MECHANICS # 64

7
 30/09/2014

FORCES & MOMENTS

Example
The two structural, one of which is in tension and other in compression, exert the indicated
forces on joint O. determine the magnitude of the resultant R of the two forces and the angle θ
which R makes with the positive x-axis.

DDEK/2014/ ME 161 - BASIC MECHANICS # 65

FORCES & MOMENTS

Example
Determine the components of the forces shown of the resultant force acting on the point O
and it’s direction measured from the x - axis.
900 N y

750 N

35o

65o
25o
x

20o

DDEK/2014/ ME 161 - BASIC MECHANICS # 66

8
 30/09/2014

FORCES & MOMENTS

Recall

Solution F1 y  614.36 N

F1x  389.88 N

F1z  181.8 N


F2 y  815.68 N

F2 x  130.09 N

F2 z  357.42 N


F   Fx   Fy   Fz
 (389.88  130.09 ) x  (614.36  815.68) y  (181.8  357.42) z
 259.79 x  1430.04 y  539.22 z
F  (259.79 2  (1430.04) 2  (539.22) 2  1550.25 N
 Fx  1  259.79 
 x  cos 1    cos    80.4
o

F  1550.25 
 y  22.7 o  z  69.7 o
DDEK/2014/ ME 161 - BASIC MECHANICS # 67