Engineering Mechanics: Statics,1e

Chapter 1 Review of concepts in mechanics

Key Concepts
Mechanics is the science that considers the motion of bodies under the action of forces.
Statics is the study of motionless systems or systems that move with a constant velocity.

2001 Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Thomson Learning is a trademark used herein under license.

Fig. 1.1 Directed line segment

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Fig. 1.2 Force parallelogram

Key Concepts
A particle is a body whose size does not influence its response to the forces acting on it

Key Concepts
A rigid body is a body that does not deform under the action of forces. Generally, the size of a rigid body influences its response to forces.

Key Concepts
The acceleration of a particle is proportional to the net force that acts on the particle and inversely proportional to the mass of the particle.

Key Concepts
Every force (action) is accompanied by an equal and opposite force (reaction).

Fig. 1.3 Original definition of the meter.

2001 Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Thomson Learning is a trademark used herein under license.

Key Concepts
Weight is a force, not a mass. The kilogram is a unit of mass, not a unit of weight.

Fig. 1.4 Balance-type scale.

2001 Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Thomson Learning is a trademark used herein under license.

2001 Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Thomson Learning is a trademark used herein under license.

Fig. 1.5 Spring scale: (a) in a zero-gravity field; (b) on the moon; (c) on earth.

Fig. 1.6 A force of 1 N acting on a mass of 1 kg produces an acceleration of 1 m/s2

2001 Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Thomson Learning is a trademark used herein under license.

Fig. 1.7 The weight of a unit mass equals g units of force.

2001 Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Thomson Learning is a trademark used herein under license.

Key Concepts
SI is an absolute system of units. The United States Customary System is a gravitational system of units.

Fig. 1.8 A force of 1 lb acting on a mass of 1 slug produces an acceleration of 1 ft/s2.

2001 Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Thomson Learning is a trademark used herein under license.

Key Concepts
Units and dimensions can be manipulated like algebraic quantities; that is, they can be added, multiplied, divided, combined, or canceled.