10-11-2022

Engineering Mechanics MEI 101

Equilibrium of Rigid Bodies

Dr. Antarip Poddar

Department of Mechanical Engineering
IIT (ISM) Dhanbad
Email: antarip@iitism.ac.in

Introduction
•For a rigid body in static equilibrium, the external forces and moments are
balanced and will impart no translational or rotational motion to the body.

• The necessary and sufficient condition for the static equilibrium of a body are that the
resultant force and couple from all external forces form a system equivalent to zero,

𝐹⃗ = 0 𝑀 = 𝑟⃗ × 𝐹⃗ = 0

•Resolving each force and moment into its rectangular components leads to 6 scalar
equations which also express the conditions for static equilibrium,

𝐹 =0 𝐹 =0 𝐹 =0

𝑀 =0 𝑀 =0 𝑀 =0
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Reactions at Supports/Connections

Equilibrium of a Rigid Body in Two Dimensions

• For all forces and moments acting on a two-dimensional structure,

𝐹 =0 𝑀 =𝑀 =0 𝑀 =𝑀

• Equations of equilibrium become

 Fx  0  Fy  0  M A  0
where A is any point in the plane of the structure.

• The 3 equations can be solved for no more than 3 unknowns.

• The 3 equations can not be augmented with additional equations,

but they can be replaced
 Fx  0  M A  0  M B  0
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Statically Indeterminate Reactions

• More unknowns than • Fewer unknowns than • Equal number unknowns

equations equations, partially and equations but
constrained improperly constrained

Equilibrium of a Rigid Body in Two Dimensions: Example 1

SOLUTION:
• Create a free-body diagram for the crane.

A fixed crane has a mass of 1000

kg and is used to lift a 2400 kg
crate. It is held in place by a pin
at A and a rocker at B. The
center of gravity of the crane is
located at G.
Determine the components of the
reactions at A and B.
• Determine B by solving the equation for the sum of the
moments of all forces about A.
 M A  0 :  B1.5m   9.81 kN 2m 
 23.5 kN6m   0
B  107.1 kN
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Equilibrium of a Rigid Body in Two Dimensions: Example 1

• Determine the reactions at A by solving the equations for the sum of all
horizontal forces and all vertical forces.

 Fx  0 : Ax  B  0
Ax  107.1 kN

 Fy  0 : Ay  9.81 kN  23.5 kN  0

Ay  33.3 kN

• Check the values obtained for the reactions by verifying that the sum of the
moments about B of all forces is zero.

Equilibrium of a Rigid Body in Two Dimensions: Example 2

SOLUTION:
• Create a free-body diagram for the car

Wx  5500 N  cos 25

 4980 N
W y  5500 N sin 25
 2320 N
• Determine the reactions at the wheels:
A loading car is at rest on an inclined
M  0 :  2320 N  625mm  4980 N 150mm R2  1758 N
track. The gross weight of the car A

and its load is 5500 N, and it is  R2 1250mm   0

applied at G. The cart is held in
M B  0 :  2320 N  625mm  4980 N 150mm R1  562 .4N
position by the cable.
 R1 1250mm   0
Determine the tension in the cable
and the reaction at each pair of • Determine the cable tension:
wheels. T  4980 N
 Fx  0 :  4980 N  T  0
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Equilibrium of a Rigid Body in Two Dimensions: Example 3

SOLUTION:
• Create a free-body diagram for the frame and cable.

The frame supports part of the roof

of a small building. The tension in • Solve 3 equilibrium equations for the reaction force components
the cable is 150 kN. and couple.
4.5
Determine the reaction at the fixed  Fx  0 : E x  150 kN   0
end E. 7 .5
E x  90.0 kN

Equilibrium of a Rigid Body in Two Dimensions: Example 3

6
 Fy  0 : E y  420 kN   150 kN   0
7.5
E y  200 kN

 M E  0 :  20 kN7.2 m   20 kN 5.4 m 
 20 kN3.6 m   20 kN 1.8 m 
6
 150 kN 4.5 m  M E  0
7 .5
M E  180.0 kN  m
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Equilibrium of a Two-Force Body

• Consider a plate subjected to two forces F1 and F2

• For static equilibrium, the sum of moments about A must be zero. The
moment of F2 must be zero. It follows that the line of action of F2 must
pass through A.

• Similarly, the line of action of F1 must pass through B for the sum of
moments about B to be zero.

• Requiring that the sum of forces in any direction be zero leads to the
conclusion that F1 and F2 must have equal magnitude but opposite sense.

Equilibrium of a Three-Force Body

• Consider a rigid body subjected to forces acting at only 3 points.

• Assuming that their lines of action intersect, the moment of F1

and F2 about the point of intersection represented by D is zero.

• Since the rigid body is in equilibrium, the sum of the moments

of F1, F2, and F3 about any axis must be zero.
• It follows that the moment of F3 about D must be zero as well
and that the line of action of F3 must pass through D.

• The lines of action of the three forces must be concurrent or parallel.

• This property is useful for graphical method (alternative).

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Equilibrium of a Three-Force Body

Equilibrium of a Three-Force Body: Example 4

SOLUTION:
• Create a free-body diagram of the joist. Note that the joist is a 3
force body acted upon by the rope, its weight, and the reaction at
A.

• Determine the direction of the reaction force R.

AF  AB cos 45  4 m  cos 45  2.828 m

A man raises a 10 kg joist, of
length 4 m, by pulling on a CD  AE  12 AF  1.414 m
rope.
BD  CD cot(45  20)  1.414 m  tan 20  0.515 m
Find the tension in the rope
and the reaction at A. CE  BF  BD  2.828  0.515 m  2.313 m
CE 2.313
tan    1.636
AE 1.414

  58.6
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Equilibrium of a Three-Force Body: Example 4

• Determine the magnitude of the reaction force R.

T R 98.1 N

 

sin 31.4 sin 110 sin 38.6

T  81.9 N
R  147.8 N

Equilibrium of a Rigid Body in Three Dimensions

• Six scalar equations are required to express the conditions for the equilibrium of a rigid
body in the general three dimensional case.

 Fx  0  Fy  0  Fz  0
Mx  0 My  0 Mz  0

• These equations can be solved for no more than 6 unknowns which generally represent
reactions at supports or connections.

• The scalar equations are conveniently obtained by applying the vector forms of the
conditions for equilibrium,
   
 F  0  M O   r  F   0
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Reactions at Supports/Connections

Equilibrium of a Rigid Body in Three Dimensions: Example 5

SOLUTION:
• Create a free-body diagram for the sign.

A sign of uniform density weighs 540 N

and is supported by a ball-and-socket
joint at A and by two cables.
Determine the tension in each cable
and the reaction at A.
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Equilibrium of a Rigid Body in Three Dimensions: Example 5

• Determine the tension forces’ directions.

𝑟⃗ − 𝑟⃗ 𝑟⃗ − 𝑟⃗
𝑇 =𝑇 𝑇 =𝑇
𝑟⃗ − 𝑟⃗ 𝑟⃗ − 𝑟⃗
−2.4𝚤⃗ + 1.2𝚥⃗ − 2.4𝑘 −1.8𝚤⃗ + 0.9𝚥⃗ + 0.6𝑘
=𝑇 =𝑇
3.6 2.1
2 1 2
=𝑇 − 𝚤⃗ + 𝚥⃗ − 𝑘
3 3 3 =𝑇 − 𝚤⃗ + 𝚥⃗ + 𝑘

Equilibrium of a Rigid Body in Three Dimensions: Example 5

• Apply the conditions for static equilibrium to
develop equations for the unknown reactions.

𝑀 = 𝑟⃗ × 𝑇 + 𝑟⃗ × 𝑇 + 1.2 m 𝚤⃗ × −540N 𝚥⃗ = 0

𝚥⃗: 1.6𝑇 − 0.5143𝑇 =0

𝑘: .8𝑇 + .771𝑇 − 648N = 0

𝐹⃗ = 𝐴⃗ + 𝑇 +𝑇 − 540N 𝚥⃗ = 0
2 6
𝚤⃗: 𝐴 − 𝑇 − 𝑇 =0
3 7
1 3
𝚥⃗: 𝐴 + 𝑇 + 𝑇 − 540 N = 0
3 7
2 2
𝑘: 𝐴 − 𝑇 + 𝑇 =0
3 7
𝑇 = 202.6 N 𝑇 = 630.3 N
𝐴⃗ = 675.3 N 𝚤⃑ + 202.3 N 𝚥⃗ − 45.02 N 𝑘
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Equilibrium of a Rigid Body in Two Dimensions: Example 6

Neglecting friction and the radius of the pulley, determine the tension
in cable BCD and the reaction at support A when d = 10 cm.

20 N

3 unknows
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3 unknows