examples of equilibrium: ball on floor, ladder resting against a

wall, a car moving at steady speed or an airplane in steady

flight, the complete solar system. Of course nothing is
perfect, but we can improve approximations to any degree of
accuracy.

How do we define equilibrium?

The translational motion of the center
of mass of a rigid body is governed by
r dp r
F
dt
r r
where F   Fext is net external force.
r r
dp
In equilibrium: =0  F  0
dt
(Must hold for all components !!).
The rotational motion of a rigid body
is governed by: r
r dL
 
dt
r r
where    ext is net external torque.
r
dL r
In equilibrium =0    0.
dt
Conditions
for
Equilibrium
A rigid body is in mechanicalrequilibrium
if both the linear
r momentum P and angular
momentum L have a constant value.
r r
dP dL
i.e.,  0 and 0
dt dt
r r
P  0 and L  0  static equilibrium
 How does a lever work ?
Torques balance about an axis through the fulcrum:

FP  R  mg  r
Solve for the applied
force:
r
FP  mg
R
Fp can be rather small
depending on r and R
 Example of equilibrium

F1 L F2
L/4
M
m

Find forces F1 and F2

F1 F2
L/2
L/4
y
O
r
r mg z x
Mg

F y  F1  F2  Mg  mg  0

 y   F1   0    F2   L    Mg   L / 4 
  mg   L / 2   0
 F2 
 M  2m  g
4
F1  F2   M  m  g

F1 
 3M  2m  g
4
For a body in equilibrium, the choice of origin
for calculating torques is unimportant.
Proof:
r
y F1
r r r r r r
 O   1   2     N r r1  rP
r r r r r1
 r1  F1  r2  F2   P
r r r
rP
  rN  FN O
x
z
r r r r r r r
 P   r1  rP   F1   r2  rP   F1  
r r r
   rN  rP   FN
r r r r r r
  r1  F1  r2  F2    rN  FN 
 
r r r r r r
  rP  F1  rP  F2    rP  FN 
 
r r r
r r

  O  rP  F1  F2    FN 
  
r
r r

  O  rP   Fext 
  
 r
but  Fext  0, for a body in translational
equilibrium
r r
  P  O

Hence the torque about any two points

has the same value when the body is in
translational equilibrium
F1 F2
L/2
3L / 4
y

O
r z x
r mg
Mg

 y    F1   L    F2   0    M g   3L / 4 
  mg   L / 2   0
 3M  2 m 
F1  
 M  2m  g
 g and F2 
 4  4
 L
x

mg
m1 g
L
x

m2 g mg

m?
Taking the torques about the knife edge
in the two cases, we have

mg x  m1 g  L  x 
m2 g x  mg  L  x 
m m1
  or m  m1m2
m2 m
 l l

A false balance has equal arms. An object

weighs x when placed in one pan and y when
placed in the other pan. What is the true weight ?
 l l

w1 w2
Let the weights of the pans be w1 and w2 and
the true weight be w. Then:

 w  w1  l   x  w2  l  x  y
 w
 w  w2  l   y  w1  l 2
 r
F

What minimum force F applied horizontally

at the axle of the wheel is necessary to raise
the wheel over an obstacle of height h ?
 F
The normal force r
r h
vanishes as wheel W
leaves the ground.
h x O

Take torques about O : Wx  F  r - h  .

Use: x   r  h   r
2 2 2

2rh - h 2
 F W .
rh
Review: For two masses the CM is:
 
 m1r1  m2 r2
rcm 
m1  m2

m2

r2
m1

r1
 m3

CM

rcm 
r2 m2

r3
m1

r1

  
 m1r1  m2 r2    mN rN
rcm 
m1  m2    mN
 
F  M a cm
where,
 
F   Fext
translation rotation
 Centre of gravity

The centre of gravity is the average location of

the weight of an object.
 
Suppose the gravitational acceleration g
has the same value at all points of a body.
Then:

1) The weight is equal to M g , and
2) The center of gravity coincides with
the centre of mass
 mi
y r
mi g
The net force on the r cg
whole = sum over all ri
individual particles r r
Mg
r r rcg
 F   mi g O
x
r
z
Since g has the same value for every particle
r r r
of the body   F  g  mi  M g
 mi
y r
mi g
The net torque about r cg
ri
the origin O :
r r r r r
    ri  mi g  rcg Mg
r r O
   mi ri  g 
x
z
r r r r r
   M rcm  g  rcm  M g
The torque due to gravity about the
centre of mass of a body is zero !!
Under what conditions will a body in
the Earth's gravity be in equilibrium?
r r
F   M g

cg

r
Mg
 cg
cg

cg

The object will be in equilibrium

no matter what its orientation.
How do we find the center of mass
of an object with irregular shape?
pivot
pivot
pivot

+
CM
We find that the center of mass is at the
“centre” of the object.

CM
Difference between Center of Mass
and Center of Gravity
r
If g is not constant over the body, then
the center of gravity and center of mass
do not coincide.
r center of mass
m1 g1

center of gravity
r
mN g N
 Types of Equilibrium

 Stable equilibrium: object returns to its

original position if displaced slightly
 Unstable equilibrium: object moves
farther away from its original position if
displaced slightly
 Neutralequilibrium: object stays in
its new position if displaced slightly
 mg N

Restoring torque  brick does not tip

no torque
 mg
N

torque  rotation
Brick tips !!
 When CG of the
refrigerator is no longer
over the support point, it
will tip over.

People try to keep the

CG over their feet, in
order to feel stable.
 C
A thin bar AB of negligible
T
weight is pinned to a
x 
vertical wall at A and B
A
supported by a thin wire w
l
BC. A weight w can be
moved along the bar.
a) Find T as a function of x.
b) Find the horizontal and vertical components
of the force exerted on the bar by the pin at A.
 C
a)
T
Since the system is
in the rotational x 
A B
equilibrium, the net w
torque about A is zero. l

 w  x   T sin   l  0
w x
or T 
l sin 
 x
b) A B
w
Let FH and FV be the horizontal and vertical
components of the force exerted by the pin at A.
Then since there is translational equilibrium
we have
wx cot 
FH  T cos   and
l
wx  x
FV  W  T sin   w   w 1  
l  l
 wire


d beam
L
M

Find the tension in the wire and the force

exerted by the hinge on the beam.
 r r
T Tv

r
Th  y

r r
F r x
Fv  mg r
r Mg
Fh
From the translational equilibrium

 F  F T  0
x h h

 F  F  T  mg  Mg  0
y v v
 r r
T y
Tv

r 
Th x
r Tv  Th tan 
r F r
Fv  mg r tan  
 d  Lsin 
r Mg L cos 
Fh
Applying the rotational equilibrium around
the upper end of the beam
 z  Fv  L cos    Fh  L sin   h
L  mg
 mg  cos    0  Fv  Fh tan  
2  2
Solving these equations simultaneously, we get

Fv 
 dm  L  m  2 M  sin  
g
2d
L  2 M  m  cos 
Fh  g
2d

Tv 
 m  2 M   d  L cos  
g
2d

Th 
 m  2 M  L cos 
g
2d
 1 R1
R1
A
C
R2
D 
O 2 R2 B
W
Show that the least angle  at which the rod can
lean to the horizontal without slipping is given by
 1-12 
  tan  1

 22 
 1 R1
Considering the translational
R1
equilibrium of the rod, A
R1  2 R2 C
R2  1 R1  W R2
D 
W
 R2  O 2 R2 B
 1  12  W
Now Considering the
rotational equilibrium about A,
R2  OB  W  OD   2 R2  OA
AB cos 
R2  AB cos   W    2 R2  AB sin 
2
   W
or cos   R2 
   2 R2 sin 
  2
W
R2 
 tan  2
2 R2
W
where R2 
 1  12 
using the value of R2 , we get
1-12
 tan 
22
 L 

x
W

A non-uniform bar of weight W is

suspended at rest in a horizontal position
by two light cords. Find the distance x from
the left-hand end to the center of gravity.
 T1 T2
T2 sin   T1 sin   0  
L
T2 cos   T1 cos   W  0
W O
x
 T2 
sin      W

Now for rotational equilibrium about O:

Wx   T2 cos   L  0

x
 T2 cos   L

L cos 
W s in     