Which approach to adopt

SYSTEM
OF
FORCES
• Mechanics is the science that considers of motion bodies and effects of forces on that
motion.

• Statics is the study of motionless systems or systems that move with constant velocity.
• Kinematics is concerned with rates of change
of geometrical quantities in a moving system.
It does not involve the concept of force.

• Kinetics
treats the causes and the nature of
motion that results from specified forces.

• Kinematics + Kinetics = Dynamics

•
A particle is a body whose size does not influence its response to the forces
acting on it.
A rigid body is a body that does not deform under Non-rigid body: Body which
the action of forces. Generally, the size of a rigid
body influences its response to forces. can deform
Principle of Transmissibility
The Principle of Transmissibility

 
F F If we concerns only about the
? external resultant effects on rigid body.
=

The two force can be We can slide the force along its line of
considered equivalent if action.
…… (force can be considered as sliding vector)

“A force may be applied at any point on its given line of action

without altering the resultant effects external to the rigid body
on which it acts.”
Mechanical
Engineering and
nature

Question of the day

Resultant forces: when more than one number
of forces applies on particle in different If the resultant force is equal to zero it implies that the net
directions, a single force which can replace all effect of the system of forces is zero this represents the state
these forces is called resultant force of equilibrium
 Parallelogram law of Forces
If two forces, acting at a point, are represented in magnitude and direction by the
two adjacent sides of a parallelogram drawn from one of its angular points, then
their resultant is represented both in magnitude and direction by the diagonal of
the parallelogram passing through that angular point.

2 2
𝑅=√ 𝑃 +𝑄 +2 𝑃𝑄𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃
 

  𝑃𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃
𝛼 =𝑡𝑎𝑛 −1
( 𝑄+ 𝑃𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜃 )
Where, θ is the angle between two forces P and Q.
α is the angle between force Q and resultant R.
 Triangle law of Forces
If two forces are simultaneously acting on a particle and are represented in terms
of magnitude and direction by two sides of a triangle taken in an order, then the
third side or the closing side of the triangle, drawn in opposite order, represents
the resultant of above two forces in terms of magnitude and direction.

This law is used to find the resultant of two vector which gives both magnitude and
direction.

2 2
𝑅=√ 𝑃 +𝑄 − 2 𝑃𝑄𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝛽 ; 𝛽=180 − 𝜃
 

  𝑃
𝛼 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛 − 1 ( 𝑅
𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝛽 )
 Resolution of Forces
• This method is used for finding resultant of two or more than two forces. A body is in static
equilibrium if and only if the force balance equations are hold at any point.
• The resultant is a representative force which has the same effect on the body as the group of
forces it replaces.
• To determine the resultant of any system of forces we adopt the principle of Resolution and
Composition.
• When a body is in equilibrium, the resultant of all forces acting on it is 0. Thus, the resultant force
R will be 0. i.e. R =  FX = 0,  FY = 0
• Horizontal Components, ƩFX = Fcosθ
• Vertical Components, ƩFY = Fsinθ
 
2 2

 
√
Resultant force,𝑅= (∑ 𝐹 𝑋 ) +(∑ 𝐹𝑌 )
Angle   of   Resultant   force   with   Horizontal , 𝛼 =𝑡𝑎𝑛
−1
( ∑ 𝐹𝑌
)
∑ 𝐹𝑋
 Lami’s Theorem
• If a particle is simultaneously acted upon by three forces meeting at a point or going
away from a point, then the ratio of a force to the sine of the angle between other
two forces is constant.

 
𝐹1 𝐹2 𝐹3
= =
𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝛾 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝛽 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝛼
Moment Varignon’s Theoram

Moment of a force about any point is equal to the sum of

the moments of the components of the force about the
same point
Couple
• The moment produced by two equal, opposite and non-collinear forces is called a
couple.
Force Couple Systems

• The effect of force acting on a body is the tendency to push or pull the body in the
direction of the force and to rotate the body about any fixed axis which does not
intersect the line of the force.
Conditions for Equilibrium of A Rigid Object

• The vector sum of the external forces on the rigid object must equal zero
ΣF = 0
5 lbs

10 lbs 10 lbs

5 lbs

• We say the object is in Translational Equilibrium

• The sum of the external torques on the rigid object must equal zero.

ΣM = 0

• We can say the object is in Rotational Equilibrium

• For Two-Dimensional Problems the equations are reduced to

ΣFx = 0 ΣFy = 0 ΣMz = 0