Chapter Two Force System

Couples

A couple consists of two parallel, noncollinear forces that are equal in

magnitude and opposite in direction.

A couple is a purely rotational effect, it has a moment but no resultant force

(resultant equals zero thus it has no tendency to translate the body in any
direction).

A couple possesses two important characteristics:

a) A couple has no resultant force (ΣF = 0), and

b) The moment of a couple is the same about

any point in the plane of the couple. So it
may be considered as a free vector quantity
(not localized vector and can be moved to
any parallel position) having both
magnitude and direction (aspect of plane
and sense of rotation).

The magnitude moment of the couple is:

MO = F(a+d) – Fa

∴ M=Fd …(2-11)

Where F is the magnitude of one forces, and

d is the perpendicular distance or moment arm between the forces.

The direction and the sense of the couple moment are determined by the right-
hand rule, where the thumb indicates this direction when the fingers are curled
with the sense of rotation caused by the couple forces. In all cases, M will act
perpendicular to the plane containing these forces.

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 Chapter Two Force System

Equivalent couples: If two couples produce a moment with the same

magnitude and direction, then these two couples are equivalent.

Figure below illustrates the four operations that may be performed on a couple
without changing its moment; all couples shown in the figure are equivalent.
The operations are
1. Changing the magnitude F of each force and the perpendicular distance d
while keeping the product Fd constant,
2. Rotating the couple in its plane,
3. Moving the couple to a parallel position in its plane
4. Moving the couple to a parallel plane

Resultant of Couples:

Because couples are vectors, they may be added by the usual rules of vector
addition. Being free vectors, the requirement that the couples to be added must
have a common point of application does not apply.
The resolution of couples is no different than the resolution of moments of
forces.

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 Chapter Two Force System

Example 27: Determine the resultant couple moment of three couples acting on
the plate in Figure below.

Solution: As shown the perpendicular distances

between each pair of couple forces are d1 = 4 ft, d2 =
3 ft, and d3 = 5 ft.

+ MR = ΣM;

MR = -F1d1 + F2d2 - F3d3

= (-200)(4) + (450)(3) - (300)(5)

= -950 lb.ft = 950 lb.ft

The negative sign indicates that MR has a clockwise rotational sense.

Example 28: Determine the magnitude and direction of the couple moment
acting on the gear in Figure (a)

Solution: The easiest solution requires resolving each

force into its components as shown in Figure (b).

+ MR = ΣMO; M = (600 cos30o)(0.2) – (600 sin30o)(0.2)

= 43.9 N.m

+ MR = ΣMA; M = (600 cos30o)(0.2) – (600 sin30o)(0.2)

= 43.9 N.m

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 Chapter Two Force System

Note: The same result can also be obtained using M = Fd.

Example 29: Determine the couple moment acting on the pipe shown in Figure
(a). Segment AB is directed 30o below x-y plane.

Solution: The perpendicular distance between the lines of action of the couple
forces is

d = 6cos30o = 5.196 in

Taking moments of the forces about either point A

or point B yields

M = Fd = -25(5.196) = -129.9 lb.in

Applying the right hand rule, M acts in the

negative y direction

M ≅ 130 lb.in ⇐

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 Chapter Two Force System

Example 30: The rigid structural member is subjected to a couple of the two
100 N forces. Replace this couple by an equivalent couple consisting of the two

forces P and –P, each of which has a magnitude of 400 N. Determine the proper
angle θ.

Solution: The original couple is counterclockwise when

the plane is viewed from above, and its magnitude is

M = Fd M =100(0.1) = 10 N.m

The forces P and –P produce a counterclockwise

couple

M = 400 (0.040) cosθ

Equating the two expressions gives

10 = 400 (0.040) cosθ

 10 
θ = cos −1   = 51.3
o

16
 

Hint: Since the two equal couples are parallel free vectors, the only dimensions
which are relevant are those which give the perpendicular distance between the
forces of the couples.

Example 31: Determine the magnitude and direction of the couple M which
will replace the two given couples and still produce the
same external effect on the block. Specify the two forces F
and –F, applied in the two faces of the block parallel to the
y-z plane, which may replace the four given forces. The 30
N forces act parallel to the y-z plane.

Solution: The couple due to 30 N forces has the magnitude

M1 = 30(0.06) =1.8 N.m

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The direction of M1 is normal to the plane defined by the two forces, and sense,
shown in Figure, is established by the right-hand convention. The couple due to
the 25 N forces has the magnitude

M2 = 25(0.10) =2.5 N.m

with the direction and sense shown in the same Figure. The two couple vectors
combine to give the components

My = 1.8 sin60o = 1.559 N.m

Mz = -2.5 + 1.8 cos60o = -1.600 N.m

Thus M = (1.559) 2 + ( −1.600) 2 = 2.23 N.m

 1.599 
With θ = tan −1  −1
 = tan 0.974 = 44.3
o

 1 .600 

The forces F and –F lie in a plane normal to the couple M, and their moment arm
as seen from the Figure is 100 mm. Thus, each force has the magnitude

2.23
[M = Fd] F= = 22.3 N
0.10

and the direction θ = 44.3o.

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 Chapter Two Force System

Example 32: A section of a piping system is acted on by the three couples

shown in Fig. (a) Determine the magnitude of the resultant couple CR and its
direction cosines, given that the magnitudes of the applied couples are C1 = 50
N·m, C2 = 90 N·m, and C3 = 140 N·m.

Solution: By applying the right-hand rule to each of the three

couples in Fig. (a), we see that the corresponding couple-
vectors will be directed as shown in Fig (b): Because these
couple-vectors do not have the same directions, the most
practical method of determining their resultant is to use the
vector equation

rDO = ∆x 2 + ∆y 2 + ∆z 2 = 0 2 + (0.4) 2 + (−0.5) 2 = 0.64m

r OB = (0.7) 2 + 0 2 + 0 2 = 0.7 m
rAB = (−0.2) 2 + (−0.3) 2 + (0.6) 2 = 0.7 m
∆xi 0 0.7 0. 2
C x = ∑ C xi = ∑ Ci = * 50 + * 90 − *140 = 50 N .m
ri 0.64 0.7 0.7
∆y 0. 4 0 0. 3
C y = ∑ C yi = ∑ i Ci = * 50 + * 90 − * 140 = −28.75 N .m MDO
ri 0.64 0.7 0. 7
∆z − 0.5 0 0.6
C z = ∑ C zi = ∑ i Ci = * 50 + * 90 + * 140 = 80.9375 N .m
ri 0.64 0. 7 0. 7
The magnitude of CR is:
2 2 2
C R = C x + C y + C z = (50) + (−28.75) 2 + (80.9375) 2 = 99.41 N .m MOB

and the direction cosines of CR are

Cx 50
cos α = = = 0.503 ⇒ α = 59.8o
C R 99.41
C y − 28.75
cos β = = = 0.2892 ⇒ β = 106.8o
CR 99.41 MAB
C 80.9375
cos γ = z = = 0.8142 ⇒ γ = 35.5o
CR 99.41
(b)

so that CR could be shown acting anywhere.

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