5/17/16

Physics 2A

Olga Dudko
UCSD Physics

Lecture 15

Today:

Static equilibrium

The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet

Stability of equilibria.

What keeps the bridge and the house from falling?

San Diego-Coronado bridge

Fallen Star, UCSD

1. Support from below

against Fgrav => F = 0.

2. No tendency to tip

in any direction => = 0.

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Equilibrium. Static equilibrium.

A body is in equilibrium when the net external force
and torque on the body are both zero:

Fallen Star, UCSD

! dp!
F = dt = 0

COM of rigid body

has a=0

!
! dL
= dt = 0
no tendency

to start rotating

about any point

If, in addition, the body is

stationary, then it is in static

equilibrium.

Center of Gravity (CG)

The CG of a rigid body
is the point at which
the gravitational force
seems to act.

mig

mig =

Mg

CG
Mg

CG = average location of the weight of an object.

CG coincides with COM when gravitational field is
uniform (i.e., for objects whose size is << REarth).

nsio
suspe

r
CG
Fg

t

n po in

A suspended
object is in
equilibrium only
when its CG lies
directly below
suspension point

r
CG
Fg

A nonzero
torque tends to
rotate the
object to the
equilibrium
orientation

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Center of Gravity

A body whose CG is above the area of support will
be stable if a vertical line projected down from CG
falls within the area of support.

CG

CG

area of support

CG

area of support

area of support

Fnormal (balancing Fg) can only be exerted within area

of contact. If Fg acts beyond that area, a net torque
will topple the object.

Does the Leaning Tower of Pisa

defy laws of physics?

Currently leans at a

4.7 angle to the vertical

d = 7 m, height = 55 m

The center of gravity

lies within the base as

long as the angle is < 7.3

Its the laws of physics

that are holding it up!

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How to avoid tipping over:

Have low center of gravity
+
t
xtinc
e
w
No

large area of support

Calculating torques

When more than one torque is acting on an object,
remember to take vector sum of the torques, .

The pivot point is the point where rotation is
occurring or where rotation may occur.

Sometimes you are free to choose

e ps
c
i
the pivot point (the ruler) and
tr
sometimes you are not (the door).

When calculating torque values, it
is useful to draw an extended
force diagram.

biceps

pivot point

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Extended force diagram

Indicate the forces acting on the object AND where
they act.

Example: a ladder rests on a
frictionless vertical wall. The floor is
not frictionless. Draw the extended
force diagram for the ladder.

10 m

Fnormal, wall on ladder

To calculate
torques, we can
50o

50o

choose a pivot
CG

point at any
location, since
o
Fnormal, 40o
40
Fgravity, Earth on ladder

the object is
floor on
50o

ladder

not rotating.

Ffriction, floor on ladder

Solving Equilibrium Problems

1) Choose an appropriate coordinate system. (x,y)

2) Make an extended force diagram.

3) Formulate equilibrium equations to apply.

Fx=0

Fy=0

=0

4) Choose appropriate pivot point for torque

calculations.

5) Do algebra.

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Static Equilibrium

Juliet

Romeo is trying to reach Juliet

by climbing an 8.00m, 200N
uniform ladder which rests
against a smooth wall and
makes a 50.0o angle with the
ground. Romeo weighs 800N.
The coefficient of static
friction between the ladder
and the ground is 0.600.

Will Romeo reach Juliet before
the ladder begins to slip?

8m

Example
The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet
(A physicists perspective)

50
moat with hungry
alligators

8m

Static Equilibrium

Solution
Define a coordinate system.

Draw extended force diagram:

(ladder on
???

Fnormal, wall
e
r
the verge
e
wh
on ladder

of slipping)
+y

Fcontact,
Romeo
Fnormal, floor
on ladder

on ladder

Fgravity,
Earth on
ladder

Ffriction, floor on ladder

50
+x

Wall is smooth => no friction (idealization!).

If ladder is on the verge of slipping, static friction
force btw ladder and floor will be at maximum:

Ffriction = sFN, floor

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Static Equilibrium

Solution (contd)

Fnormal, wall
on ladder

Static equilibrium:

F = 0
= 0

Fcontact,
Romeo

Fnormal,

on ladder

Fgravity,

floor on
ladder

Fy=0
= FN,floorFg FRomeo

Earth on
ladder

Ffriction, floor on ladder

FN, floor=Fg+FRomeo

FN, floor=200N+800N=1,000N

=> max. static friction (when ladder is about to slip):

Ffriction = sFN, floor = (0 .600) (1, 000 N ) = 600 N

Fx=0

=FfrictionFN,wall

FN,wall=Ffriction
=600N

Static Equilibrium

Turn to the net

torque.

pivot

Choose

at the
point
base (eliminates
N,floor and friction).

ccw

wall

50

?
=
40o
Fcontact,

o

8m

Solution (contd)

FN, floor

on ladder

50

+ grav + Romeo = 0
cw

FN, wall on ladder

Romeo on ladder

40o

50o

Pi v o
t po
int

cw

Fgravity,

Earth on ladder

Ffriction,

floor on ladder

+ rwall FN,wall sin 50 - rgrav Fgrav sin 40 - rRomeoFRomeo sin 40 = 0

=L

= L/
2

d=

=d

L FN,wall sin 50 - L / 2 Fgrav sin 40

FRomeo sin 40

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Romeos Fate?

8m

Answer

=> Distance that Romeo climbed up

the ladder before it began to slip:

ct

d=

d=

F fri
=
L FN,wall sin 50 - L / 2 Fgrav sin 40

50

FRomeo sin 40
8m 600 N 0.766 - 4 m 200 N 0.643
= 6.15 m
800 N 0.643

=> At 6.15m up the ladder Romeo loses equilibrium !

"For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo."
- William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, 5.3

What could Romeo have done?

Taken PHYS 2A!

Stability of Equilibria

Stable

small deviation from

equilibrium:

the equilibrium creates a restoring force that

drives the system back to the equilibrium.

Unstable

equilibrium:

a small deviation from

the equilibrium creates a force that drives
the system away from the equilibrium.

To examine each, turn to potential energy, U.

Force is related to the

dU

associated potential energy as

In equilibrium:
dU = 0
dx

F =-

dx

dU
Stability? Look at
dx 2

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Stability of Equilibria

Equilibrium points
on the U(x) curve:

U(x)

dU
=0
dx

d U< 0
dx 2

At x = 2: unstable

s
ei g
lop sin
s crea
de

F =-

As you move away from

equilibrium in +x direction

d U>0
dx 2

equilibrium.

At x = 4: stable
equilibrium.

Mathematically: take the second derivative of the

potential energy in order to determine the stability

2

dU
- stable
2 >0
dx
equilibrium

dU
- unstable
2 <0
dx
equilibrium

Stable Equilibrium

Example 1

U ( x ) = 2 kx

(k > 0)

Equilibrium?
dU = kx ; dU = 0 at x=0

dx
dx
0
x
dU
Stability?

=> x=0 is stable equilibrium
2 =k >0
dx
(local minimum).

2

Example 2

U ( x ) = - 2 kx (k > 0)
x
0
Equilibrium?
dU = - kx ; dU = 0 at x=0
dx
dx
2
d
U
Stability?
2 = - k < 0 => x=0 is unstable equilibrium
dx
(local maximum).

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Clicker Question

Three identical uniform rods are each acted on by two
or more forces, all perpendicular to the rods and all
equal in magnitude (F). Which of these rods is in
equilibrium?

F

rod 1
F

A) rod 1.

rod 3

rod 2
F
F

F
F

F
F

B) rod 2.

C) rod 3.

D) None of these rods are in equilibrium.

E) All these rods are in equilibrium.

For Next Time:

Read Chapter 14

Do homework for Chapter 14

Study AS HARD AS YOU CAN for Quiz 8 (Ch.14)

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