CHAPTER 3: MOMENTS AND COUPLES

(a) Calculate the moment of a force by multiplying the total force by its perpendicular distance.

• A twisting (winding) action about the point is called a moment.

• The magnitude of the moment depends upon both the size of the force and the
perpendicular distance from the force to the point.

• See the Figure below related to the magnitude of the moment.

• The formula used to calculate the magnitude of the moment is 𝑀 = 𝐹𝑑⊥

• Because the moment is a vector quantity, the moment has both the magnitude and the
direction. In this module, we use anticlockwise direction, if 𝑀 > 0 and clockwise direction if
𝑀 < 0.

• The units of moment are pound-feet (lb-ft), pound-inches (lb-in.), or kip-feet (kip-ft).
Moment is easily distinguished from work, which is stated in units of feet-pound (ft- lb) and
 inches-pound (in.-lb). The units of moment or torque are newton-meter (N·m) and work is
Joule (J).

Example: Calculate the moment about point A in the Figure below.

Solution

M = Fd⊥ = −50 lb ∙ 3 ft = 150 lb-ft, clockwise

Example: Calculate the moment about point B due to the forces shown in the Figure below.

Solution

Moment of force F = 40 N about point B is:

M𝐵 = Fd⊥ = 40 N ∙ 4 m = 160 N m, anticlockwise.

Moment of force F = 20 N about point B is:

M𝐵 = Fd⊥ = −20 N ∙ 3 m = −60 N m, clockwise.

Moment about point B due to the forces:

M𝐵 = +160 N m − 60 = 100 N m, anticlockwise

(b) Calculate the moment of a force by multiplying each of a force’s components by their respective
perpendicular distances.
Example: Solve for the moment about A due to the 100-lb force as shown in the figure below.

Solution

4
M𝐴 = Fd⊥ = − ( × 100 lb) (25 in. ) = −2000 lb-in.
5

M𝐴 = 2000 lb-in, clockwise

OR

𝑃
NB.
4 P
cos θ = =
5 25 in.
 4
M𝐴 = Fd⊥ = −(100 lb) ( × 25 in. ) = −2000 lb-in.
5

M𝐴 = 2000 lb-in, clockwise.

Practice problem

Determine the moment about point A for the force system shown in the Figure below if each square
represents 1 m.

Name the three factors that constitute a couple and calculate the moment.

A couple consists of two forces that are:

1. Equal

2. Acting in opposite directions

3. Separated by some perpendicular distance d

couple moment = 𝐹𝑑, clockwise direction in this case.

Example:
An application of moments: the rotation of a steering wheel (see Figure below).

Solution

The couple moment about the center due to each of the two forces in the Figure above is

𝑀 = +(5 lb × 20 in. ) = +100 lb ∙ in. = 100 lb ∙ in. , anticlockwise.

Practice problems

Determine the moment about points A and B for the forces shown in Figure below. NB. A couple has the
same moment about all points on a body.
Replace a given couple with an equivalent couple at a different location.

Couples with different forces but the same moment are called equivalent couples.

Example

Because the two couples have same moment and different forces, they are then called equivalent
couples.

Practice problems

The forces shown in Figure below form a couple. Replace the couple shown with an equivalent couple
acting at points A and B.