Equilibrium of Rigid Body

CHAPTER 4
 Introduction
A body is said to be in equilibrium when the external
forces acting on it from a system of force equivalent is
zero

the vector sum of all external forces is zero and

the sum of the moments of all external forces about any line
is zero
Condition for rigid body equilibrium
General equation of equilibrium for a rigid body
F=0
M=0
Equilibrium in two dimension
Fx=0
Fy=0
M=0
Equilibrium in three dimension
Fx=0
Fy=0
Fz=0
M=0
 Free Body Diagram (2D)
 Support Reactions
 there are various types of reaction that occur at supports
and point
 As a general rules,
 If a support prevents the translation of a body in a given
direction, then a force is developed on the body in that direction.
Likewise , if rotation is prevented , a couple moment is exerted
on the body
Example :
(i) Prevents the beam from translating in the vertical direction
Prevents the beam from
translating in the vertical
direction, the roller can only
exert a force on the
beam as shown in (a)
 The pin passes through a
hole in the beam and two
leaves which are fixed to the
ground. The pin can prevent
translation of the beam in
any direction

This support prevent both

translation and rotation of
the beam, and so to do this
a force and couple moment
must be developed on the
beam at its point of
connection.
Support and reactions
Three common types of support and its reactions
Roller

Fy

Fy

Pinned Fx
Fy

M
Fixed Fx
Fy
 External and Internal Forces
Internal Forces – not represented on Free Body Diagram
External Forces – do represented on Free Body Diagram

Weight and the center of Gravity

When the body is uniform or made of homogeneous
material , the centre of gravity will be located at the
body’s geometric centre or centroid
 the body nonhomogeneous or has an unusual shape,
then the location of its center of gravity will be given
Idealized Model
Example 4.1
Draw the free body diagram of the uniform beam
shown in figure below. The beam has a mass of 100kg
 Example 4.4
 The link shown in Figure below is pin-connected at A and rests
against a smooth support at B. Compute the horizontal and
vertical components of reaction at the pin A.
 Determine support reaction
In determining of support reactions, the unknown reactions
acted on the beam must be identified. This can be done by
referring to Table of support reaction.
By using the Equation of Equilibrium, the support reactions
can be solved. For the point load:
 the distance is taken from the point of force to moment about point.
For distributed load (DL),
 the distance is taken from the centroid of DL to the moment about point.
 Practical cases
In buildings, point loads on beams is subjected to loads from other
beams or columns and uniformly distributed loads are due to floors,
walls and partitions and the weights of the beams themselves

Example 1
 Constraint for rigid body
Some bodies may have more support than are necessary
for equilibrium, whereas others may not have enough or
the supports may be arranged in a particular manner that
could cause the body to collapse.
Type of constraint
Redundant constraint
 When a body has redundant supports, that is more supports than are
necessary to hold it in equilibrium, it become statically indeterminate
( more unknown loadings on the body than equations of equilibrium).
Improper constraint
 Resulting in stability
 axis is perpendicular to the plane of the forces and therefore
appears as a point, Hence, when all the reactive forces are
concurrent at this point, the body is improperly constrained
Equilibrium of rigid body in 3 Dimension
Free body diagram of Support Reactions
The magnitude of forces, F =F  F  F
x
2
y
2
z
2

Force’s orientation defined by the coordinate direction

angles ,  and 
Example 4.3
Equation of equilibrium
Vector Equations of Equilibrium ,
F = 0, vector sum of all the external forces acting on the body
Mo = 0, is the sum of couple moments and the moments of all the forces
about any point O located either on or off the body
 
Scalar Equations of Equilibrium
If applies the external forces and couple moments in Cartesian Vector.
F = Fxi + Fyj + Fzk = 0
Mo = Mxi + Myj + Mzk = 0

Since the i, j and k components are independent from one another, the above
equations are satisfied provided
Fx = 0 , Fy = 0 and Fz = 0
Mx = 0 , My = 0 and Mz = 0
Example 4.12
The homogeneous plate shown in figure below has a
mass of 100kg and is subjected to a force and couple
moment along it edges. If it is supported in the
horizontal plane by means of a roller at A, a ball and
socket joint at B and a cord at C, determine the
components of reaction at the supports.
 Equations of Equilibrium: 
Fx = 0; Bx = 0
Fy = 0; By = 0 and
Free body diagram
Fz = 0; Az + Bz + Tc - 300N - 981 N = 0

Mx = 0; Tc ( 2m) - 981 ( 1m) + Bz (2m) =0

My = 0; 300 N (1.5m) + 981N ( 1.5m) – Bz (3m) -
Az(3m) – 200N.m = 0
The components of force at B can be eliminated if the x’, y’
and z’ axes are used. We obtain
 
Mx’ = 0; 981 N (1m) + 300 N (2m) - Az ( 2m)= 0
Assumption: My’ = 0; -300 N (1.5m)+ 981N (1.5m) – 200 N.m+Tc
(Direction) (3m) = 0
Upward +ve  Results
Downward -ve
Az = 790 N Bz = -217 N, negative sign indicates that Bz
Moment acts downward
Clockwise –ve
Counterclockwise +ve Tc = 707 N
FURTHER EXAMPLES
4.13
4.14
4.15
Pulleys system
 Example 4.16
Determine the tension T in the cable of the pulley system
shown in Figure

The most solution would be as

follows:
∑Fy = 0 (Figure 4.12)
5T = 1500 N
T = 300 N
∑Fy = 0 ∑Fy = 0 ∑Fy = 0
T2 = 2T T3 = 4T T + 4T = 1500 N
T2 = 600 N T3 = 1200 N T = 300 N
 Friction
What is Friction?
Friction is defined as a force of resistance acting on a body
which prevents or retards slipping of the body relative to a
second body
How to define friction?
Friction laws for dry surface
 On Horizontal plane

 On Inclined plane
Motion or impending motion of two surfaces in contact causes a
reaction force known as friction force, F

The friction forces is

1. Parallel to a flat surface to the motion or tangent to a curved
surface
2. Opposite direction to the motion or impending motion
3. Dependent on the forces pressing the surface together
4. Independent of the area of surface of contact
5. Depending on the nature of the contacting surface

Impending motion  object being considered is on verge of

moving ( a small additional force would cause motion)

An object said to be in impending motion is not moving and

therefore is in static equilibrium.
Friction laws for dry surface on horizontal plane
Condition 1: No applied load (Not moving)
 No friction
Weight(W)

F
Normal
force(N)
 Condition 2 : applied load P pushed the block and the block
has impending motion
 F acted as a reacting force an not be great enough to balance P and
subsequently the block will tend to slip.
 In other words P will slowly increases until the block is on verge
sliding, F can be to max value (Fmax) but the block still in equilibrium
 At this state F is know as static friction force, FS

Weight(W)

P Fs=μsN

Fs Coefficient of
Normal static friction
force(N)
Notes: if F=P, F< Fs, the equation of FS can not be use to determine the friction since the friction
force not achieved the maximum value
Condition 3 : when the block is start moving (motion)
 F will reduced fastly because of the momentum influence
 At this state F is know as kinetic friction force, Fk
 At this condition Fk is less than Fs

Weight(W)

P
Fk=μkN

Fk
Normal
force(N)
Resultant force
Experimentally Those limiting static frictional force Fs
and Fk is directly proportional to the resultant normal
force (Fs) and to the magnitude of the resultant normal
force (Fk)
Defining theWangle of static friction, фs W
P P

N F N Fs

Φ
R Φs
R

tan Φs =Fs /N

= μs N / N

= μs

Φs = tan-1μs
Defining the angle of kinetic friction, фk

W W
P P

F Fk
N N
R Φk
Φ R

tan Φk =Fk /N

= μk N / N

= μk

Φk = tan-1μk
Example 4.17
The 70N force shown in figure causes impending
motion to the right. The block is not moving due to
this force. Determine the static coefficient of friction,
μs. Given the mass of block is 40kg.
70N

Solution;
Draw the free body diagram of block.
W W = mg = 40(9.81)
70N = 392.4N
W=N
Ncc Fs F 70
s    0.18
N 392.4
Example 4.18
The mass of block is 20000 kg is subjected to the
applied load as shown in figure. Determine the friction
force if μs = 0.5. 80kN
Ө=20º

Solution;
80 sin 20º =27.4kN
Draw the free diagram of
W=mg
80kN
block.
=20000(9.81) Ө=20º
80 cos 20º =75.2kN
=196.2kN
F
N
 ΣFy ↑=ΣFy↓
27.4 + N = 196.2
N = 168.8 kN

ΣFx =ΣFx
75.2 kN= F

The friction force, Fs = μs N = 0.5(168.8) = 84.4kN.

The value of Fs then compare to the F. Show that F < Fs(75.2<84.4) The
block is not moving yet. The equation of Fs can not be used to determine
the friction since the friction forces not achieved the maximum value.
The friction force is F = 75.2kN.
Example
The uniform crate shown in Figure has a mass of 20kg.
If a force P=80 N is applied to the crate, determine if it
remains in equilibrium. The coefficient of static
friction is μs = 0.3
Solution
Free body diagram
As shown in Figure, the resultant normal
force Nc must act a distance x, from the
counteract the tipping effect cause by P.
there are three unknowns F, Nc and x,
which can be determined strictly from
three equations of equilibrium
Friction laws for dry surfaces on an inclined plane
Condition 1 : the block is not moving (no friction)

N can be determined using

ΣFx = 0, F = W sin θ
ΣFy = 0, N = W cos θ.

The block tends to move down on the

inclined plane. The friction force acted in
the opposite direction.

F< Fs
Condition 2 : the block is in the verge of impending
motion

N can be determined using

ΣFx = 0, F = W sin θ
ΣFy = 0, N = W cos θ.

F = Fs, F = μs N
Condition 3 : the block is moving

N can be determined using

ΣFy = 0, N = W cos θ.

Fk = μk N

Fk = μk N= μk W cos θ
Condition 4 : the block is sliding/overtuning

When P is increased (P > Fk) until it

make the block sliding/overtuning at
point A.

ΣMA = - W sin θ(h) + W cos θ(a)

Example 4.20
A 100N force acts as shown on a 300N block placed
on an inclined plane. The coefficients of friction
between the block and plane are μs=0.25 and μk=0.2.
determine whether the block is in equilibrium and find
the value of the friction force.

Free body diagram

 ΣFy ↑=ΣFy↓
N = 240N
Fs=sN = 0.25(240) = 60N

ΣFx =ΣFx
100 kN= 180+F
F=-80kN ( the friction force is acted opposite direction, mean directed up
and to the right)
F>Fs (80>60), the block moving down due to this condition. Use Uk to
determine the actual friction force

The block is not in equilbrium condition

The friction force ; Fk= kN = 0.2 x 240 = 48N
Answer Exercise
4.5
4.6
4.7
4.8
4.12

Submission date: 13 November 2014 (5pm)

 Example 4.23
The static coefficient μs is 0.4 between the point A and
rough surfaces meanwhile there are no friction
occurred between point B and contact surfaces.
Indentify whether the wood is in equilibrium or not.
Assumed the weight of wood acts at the centre of A-B.
Smooth
surface

w
Rough surface