Unit 1

Engineering Principle
Introduction
Lesson materials are available on OneNote at
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---> Lesson 1
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BTEC L3-y1 - Foundation

At the end of today’s lesson should be able to:
• Overview of Unit specification
• Analysis of a mechanical system in which multiple forces act on it
• Understand the terms; coplanar forces, concurrent forces, and non-concurrent forces
• Fully defined forces by their magnitude, direction, sense
• Difference between space diagram and free body diagram
• Balanced and unbalanced forces

• The requirement of resolving forces

• Resolution of forces in perpendicular directions
Unit Aim
❑Develop your mathematical and
physical scientific knowledge and
understanding to enable you to solve
problems set in an engineering context.

❑The unit gives you a foundation to

support you in any engineering
technician role, an engineering
apprenticeship or higher education.
Engineering Principle
 Engineering Principle

Resources
Engineering Principle
 B1: Static Engineering System
❑ Concurrent and non-concurrent coplanar forces
o The force quantity is fully defined when magnitude, direction and
sense are known (called a vector)
The length of the arrow represents
the magnitude of the vector

Sense- the direction along the line of action in which the

force acts (the head of the arrow specifies the sense)

Direction- the orientation of the line in which the force is

action (the line of action)
Note: Force is an influence that can change the motion of an object, but in a static system, all the
forces are balanced (remain at rest or be in motion with constant velocity).
 B1: Static Engineering System
Forces-The
basics
 Concurrent & non-concurrent coplanar forces
o When forces act in the same plane, they are called coplanar.
o When forces act at the same point, they are called concurrent forces (line of action
passes through the same point)
o In non-concurrent forces, the forces
do not all pass through the same
point (line of action do not meet at
one point)
5 KN

Forces have the same point of action (concurrent forces) 8 KN

4 KN
 space diagram, free body diagram or vector diagram
❑ Visually representation of multiple forces acting on a mechanical
system
❖ Using a space diagram & free body diagram

Example:- consider a mass suspended by two wires under tension.

Simplification
for the
designer

Physical arrangement
of the system
F2 F2 F1
F1
𝜃 𝜃 𝜃2 𝜃1
or
Shows the forces acting
mg in the system are
studying mg
 Balanced forces & Unbalanced forces (1D)
❑ Balanced forces

All forces
cancelling
each other
 Balanced forces & Unbalanced forces (1D)
❑ Unbalanced forces

Unbalance: There is
a resultant force on
that object

Note:
❑ Adding forces (1D)
❑ Sign convention
❑ Resultant (1D)-Total force

Note: If the system of

the force is balanced
(at rest), then the total
force on that system is
equal to zero.
 Exercise1

Note: Please see sheet 1 on OneNote for more practice.

 10 minutes
Classwork-1
Answer questions numbers 1 and SC2 from worksheet-1 on OneNote and
upload the answer to Mechanics-Notes & HW on OneNote after the lesson is
finished.

Homework: Answer question number 2 and 4 from worksheet-1 on OneNote and upload the answer on Mechanics-Notes
& HW

Challenge yourself by answering question SC1 from worksheet-1 on OneNote and upload the answer on the Mechanics-
Notes & HW