1 MECH 182

STATICS /
MECH 106
BASIC MECHANICS
EQUILIBRIUM OF RIGID BODIES
 Introduction
2
• According to Newton’s first law of motion, if a system of
forces acting on a body has zero resultant, the body will either
remain at rest or move in a straight line with constant
velocity.
• A rigid body is said to be in equilibrium if both the resultant
force and the resultant moment acting on it are zero.
• The body will then show no tendency to rotate and it will
either remain at rest (in static equilibrium) or move in a
straight line with constant velocity.
 Conditions for a rigid body to be in equilibrium,
3
• 1. σ 𝑭 = 𝟎; i.e.
• σ 𝑭𝒙 = 𝟎, σ 𝑭𝒚 = 𝟎, σ 𝑭𝒛 = 𝟎

• 2. σ 𝑴𝒐 = 𝒓 × 𝑭 = 𝟎; i.e.
• σ 𝑴𝒙 = 𝟎, σ 𝑴𝒚 = 𝟎, σ 𝑴𝒛 = 𝟎
• These are the equations of equilibrium.
 Reactions of Supports and Connections for Two-
dimensional Structure
4
 Reactions of Supports and Connections for Two-
dimensional Structure
5
 Reactions of Supports and Connections for Two-
dimensional Structure
6
 Equilibrium of a Rigid Body in Two-Dimension
7 • Conditions of equilibrium of a rigid body in two-
dimension are;

• σ 𝑭𝒙 = 𝟎 and σ 𝑭𝒚 = 𝟎
• σ 𝑴𝒐 = σ 𝑭 × 𝒅 = 𝟎
 Example 1: Determine the vertical and horizontal components of the
8 reactions at A and C for the beam shown

400 N
300 N

A B C 60˚
D

3m 4m 3m
 Example 1 solution:
9 • FBD

400 N
300 N

A B C 60˚
𝑅𝐶𝑥 D

3m 4m 3m

𝑅𝐶𝑦
𝑅𝐴𝑦
 Example 1 solution:
10 • Summing forces in the x direction
• σ 𝐹𝑥 = 0;
• 𝐶𝑥 − 400 cos 60° = 0 ……………………(1)
• 𝐶𝑥 = 400 cos 60°
• 𝐶𝑥 = 200.0 𝑁
• Summing forces in the y direction

• σ 𝐹𝑦 = 0;

• 𝐴𝑦 − 300 + 𝐶𝑦 − 400 sin 60° = 0

• 𝐴𝑦 + 𝐶𝑦 = 646.4 ………………………….(2)
11
Example 1 solution:
• Taking moment about point C
• σ 𝑀𝑐 = 0;

• 300 × 4 − 𝐴𝑦 × 7 − (400 sin 60° × 3) = 0

300×4 −(400 sin 60°×3)
• 𝐴𝑦 =
7

• 𝑨𝒚 = 𝟐𝟑. 𝟎 𝑵

• From equation (2)

• 𝐶𝑦 = 646.4 − 23.0

• 𝑪𝒚 = 𝟔𝟐𝟑. 𝟒𝑵
 The mass of the person and the diving board are 54 kg
12 and 36 kg respectively. Determine the reactions at A and B.
 Exercise: Determine the tension in the rope and the
13 reactions at B.
 Example 2: A safety engineer establishing limits on the loads that can be
carried by a forklift analysis the situation shown. The dimensions are a=32 in,
b=30 in, and c=26 in. The combined weight of the forklift and the operator is
14 𝑊 = 1200 𝐼𝑏. As the weight 𝑊 supported by the forklift increases, the
𝐹 𝐿
normal force exerted on the floor by the rear wheels at B decreases. The
forklift is at the verge of tipping forward when the normal force at B is zero.
Determine the value of 𝑊𝐿 that will cause this condition and the reaction at A.
 Example 2 solution:
15 • Using the equilibrium conditions;
• σ 𝐹𝑦 = 0
• 𝐴 + 𝐵 − 𝑊𝐿 − 𝑊𝐹 = 0 ………..1
•
• σ 𝑀𝐴 = 𝑊𝐿 𝑎 − 𝑊𝐹 𝑏 + 𝐵 𝑐 + 𝑏 = 0 ……..2 FBD
• B=0, and 𝑊𝐹 = 1200 𝐼𝑏
16 Example 2 solution:

• Into equation 2
• 𝑊𝐿 × 32 = 1200 × 30
• 𝑾𝑳 =1125 Ib.
• From 1
• A = 1125 + 1200 = 2325 Ib
 If the wheelbarrow and its contents have a mass of
60 kg and center of mass at G, determine the magnitude of
17 the resultant force which the man must exert on each of the
two handles in order to hold the wheelbarrow in equilibrium
18 Equilibrium of a Rigid Body in Three Dimension
• Six scaler equations are required to express the conditions for
the equilibrium of a rigid body in the general three-dimensional
case:

• σ 𝑭𝒙 = 𝟎, σ 𝑭𝒚 = 𝟎, σ 𝑭𝒛 = 𝟎
• σ 𝑴𝒙 = 𝟎, σ 𝑴𝒚 = 𝟎, σ 𝑴𝒛 = 𝟎
 Changing from scaler quantities to vector quantities
19
 Example: The 10-meter mast shown is supported by a ball and socket joint
at A and two cables CD and CE. If the mast supports a cable BF which is
horizontal and has a tension of 1.2 kN, determine the tension in cables CD
20 and CE and the reactions at A.
y
F B

C
10 m

8m
x

A E

4m
5m 4m z
D
 Solution
21 • FBD of mast.

F=1200 N
B

𝐴𝑦
𝑇𝐸
𝑇𝐷
𝐴𝑥
A
𝐴𝑧
 Solution
22
• Expressing each force in Cartesian vector form
• 𝐹ത = −1200𝑘
• 𝐴ҧ = 𝐴𝑥 𝑖 + 𝐴𝑦 𝑗 + 𝐴𝑧 𝑘
−4𝑖−8𝑗+5𝑘
• 𝑇𝐷 = 𝑇𝐷 = (−0.390𝑖 − 0.78𝑗 + 0.488𝑘)𝑇𝐷
4 2 +82 +52

4𝑖−8𝑗+5𝑘
• 𝑇𝐸 = 𝑇 = (0.390𝑖 − 0.78𝑗 + 0.488𝑘)𝑇𝐸
42 +82 +52 𝐸

• Applying the equilibrium of condition:

• σ𝐹 = 0
• 𝐹ത + 𝐴ҧ + 𝑇𝐷 + 𝑇𝐸 = 0
 Solution
• −1200𝑘 + 𝐴𝑥 𝑖 + 𝐴𝑦 𝑗 + 𝐴𝑧 𝑘 + −0.390𝑖 − 0.78𝑗 + 0.488𝑘 𝑇𝐷 + (0.390𝑖 − 0.78𝑗 +
23
 Solution
• Grouping i and k terms
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• −12000 + 3.904𝑇𝐷 + 3.904𝑇𝐸 = 0 ……………(4)
• 3.120𝑇𝐷 − 3.120𝑇𝐸 = 0 …………….(5)
• From equation (5)
• 3.120𝑇𝐷 = 3.120𝑇𝐸
• 𝑇𝐷 = 𝑇𝐸 ………….(6)
• Putting equation (6) into (4)
• −12000 + 3.904𝑇𝐷 + 3.904𝑇𝐷 = 0
• 7.808𝑇𝐷 = 12000
• 𝑇𝐷 = 1536.8852 𝑁
• 𝑇𝐸 = 1536.8852 𝑁
 Solution
25 • Substituting 𝑇𝐷 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑇𝐸 into equations (1), (2) and (3)
• 𝐴𝑥 = 0
• 𝐴𝑦 = 0.781 1536.889 + 0.781(1536.8852)
• 𝐴𝑦 = 2400.6 𝑁
• 𝐴𝑧 = 1200 − 0.488 × 1536.8852 − 0.488 × 1536.8852
• 𝐴𝑧 = 300.0 𝑁
 The boom is used to support the 75-lb flowerpot below.
Determine the tension developed in wires AB and AC.
26
 A 48-in boom is held by a ball-and-socket joint at C and by two
cables BF and DAE; DAE passes around a frictionless pulley at A.
27 For the loading shown, determine the tension in each cable and the
reactions at C.
28 Questions
29

Assignment Three