Mechanical

equilibrium

In classical mechanics, a part icle is in mechanical equilibrium if t he net force on t hat part icle is
zero.[1]:39 By ext ension, a physical syst em made up of many part s is in mechanical equilibrium if
t he net force on each of it s individual part s is zero.[1]:45–46[2]

An object resting on a surface and the corresponding free body diagram showing the forces acting on the object. The
normal force N is equal, opposite, and collinear to the gravitational force mg so the net force and moment is zero.
Consequently, the object is in a state of static mechanical equilibrium.

In addit ion t o defining mechanical equilibrium in t erms of force, t here are many alt ernat ive
definit ions for mechanical equilibrium which are all mat hemat ically equivalent . In t erms of
moment um, a syst em is in equilibrium if t he moment um of it s part s is all const ant . In t erms of
velocit y, t he syst em is in equilibrium if velocit y is const ant . In a rot at ional mechanical equilibrium
t he angular moment um of t he object is conserved and t he net t orque is zero.[2] More generally in
conservat ive syst ems, equilibrium is est ablished at a point in configurat ion space where t he
gradient of t he pot ent ial energy wit h respect t o t he generalized coordinat es is zero.

If a part icle in equilibrium has zero velocit y, t hat part icle is in st at ic equilibrium.[3][4] Since all
part icles in equilibrium have const ant velocit y, it is always possible t o find an inert ial reference
frame in which t he part icle is st at ionary wit h respect t o t he frame.

Stability

An import ant propert y of syst ems at mechanical equilibrium is t heir st abilit y.

Potential energy stability test

…
If we have a funct ion which describes t he syst em's pot ent ial energy, we can det ermine t he
syst em's equilibria using calculus. A syst em is in mechanical equilibrium at t he crit ical point s of
t he funct ion describing t he syst em's pot ent ial energy. We can locat e t hese point s using t he fact
t hat t he derivat ive of t he funct ion is zero at t hese point s. To det ermine whet her or not t he
syst em is st able or unst able, we apply t he second derivat ive t est . Wit h denot ing t he st at ic
equat ion of mot ion of a syst em wit h a single degree of freedom we can perform t he following
calculat ions:

Diagram of a ball placed in an unstable equilibrium.

Second derivative < 0

The pot ent ial energy is at a local maximum, which means t hat t he syst em is in an unst able
equilibrium st at e. If t he syst em is displaced an arbit rarily small dist ance from t he equilibrium
st at e, t he forces of t he syst em cause it t o move even fart her away.
Diagram of a ball placed in a stable equilibrium.

Second derivative > 0

The pot ent ial energy is at a local minimum. This is a st able equilibrium. The response t o a small
pert urbat ion is forces t hat t end t o rest ore t he equilibrium. If more t han one st able equilibrium
st at e is possible for a syst em, any equilibria whose pot ent ial energy is higher t han t he absolut e
minimum represent met ast able st at es.

Diagram of a ball placed in a neutral equilibrium.

Second derivative = 0 or does not exist

The st at e is neut ral t o t he lowest order and nearly remains in equilibrium if displaced a small
amount . To invest igat e t he precise st abilit y of t he syst em, higher order derivat ives must be
examined. The st at e is unst able if t he lowest nonzero derivat ive is of odd order or has a
negat ive value, st able if t he lowest nonzero derivat ive is bot h of even order and has a posit ive
value, and neut ral if all higher order derivat ives are zero. In a t ruly neut ral st at e t he energy does
not vary and t he st at e of equilibrium has a finit e widt h. This is somet imes referred t o as st at e
t hat is marginally st able or in a st at e of indifference.

When considering more t han one dimension, it is possible t o get different result s in different
direct ions, for example st abilit y wit h respect t o displacement s in t he x-direct ion but inst abilit y in
t he y-direct ion, a case known as a saddle point . Generally an equilibrium is only referred t o as
st able if it is st able in all direct ions.

Statically indeterminate system …

Somet imes t here is not enough informat ion about t he forces act ing on a body t o det ermine if it
is in equilibrium or not . This makes it a st at ically indet erminat e syst em.

Examples

A st at ionary object (or set of object s) is in "st at ic equilibrium," which is a special case of
mechanical equilibrium. A paperweight on a desk is an example of st at ic equilibrium. Ot her
examples include a rock balance sculpt ure, or a st ack of blocks in t he game of Jenga, so long as
t he sculpt ure or st ack of blocks is not in t he st at e of collapsing.

Object s in mot ion can also be in equilibrium. A child sliding down a slide at const ant speed would
be in mechanical equilibrium, but not in st at ic equilibrium (in t he reference frame of t he eart h or
slide).

Anot her example of mechanical equilibrium is a person pressing a spring t o a defined point . He or
she can push it t o an arbit rary point and hold it t here, at which point t he compressive load and
t he spring react ion are equal. In t his st at e t he syst em is in mechanical equilibrium. When t he
compressive force is removed t he spring ret urns t o it s original st at e.

The minimal number of st at ic equilibria of homogeneous, convex bodies (when rest ing under
gravit y on a horizont al surface) is of special int erest . In t he planar case, t he minimal number is 4,
while in t hree dimensions one can build an object wit h just one st able and one unst able balance
point . Such an object is called a gömböc.

See also

Dynamic equilibrium

Engineering mechanics

Met ast abilit y

St at ically indet erminat e

St at ics

Hydrost at ic equilibrium

Notes and references

 1. John L Synge & Byron A Griffith (1949). Principles of Mechanics (https://archive.org/details/principleso
fmech031468mbp) (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill.

2. Beer FP, Johnston ER, Mazurek DF, Cornell PJ, and Eisenberg, ER (2009). Vector Mechanics for
Engineers: Statics and Dynamics (9th ed.). McGraw-Hill. p. 158.

3. Herbert Charles Corben & Philip Stehle (1994). Classical Mechanics (https://books.google.com/?id=1gx
k4oq9trYC&pg=PA113&dq=%22static+equilibrium%22) (Reprint of 1960 second ed.). Courier Dover
Publications. p. 113. ISBN 0-486-68063-0.

4. Lakshmana C. Rao; J. Lakshminarasimhan; Raju Sethuraman; Srinivasan M. Sivakumar (2004).

Engineering Mechanics (https://books.google.com/?id=F7gaa1ShPKIC&pg=PA90&dq=%22static+equilib
rium%22#PPA6,M1) . PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. p. 6. ISBN 81-203-2189-8.

Further reading

Marion JB and Thornt on ST. (1995) Classical Dynamics of Particles and Systems. Fourt h Edit ion,
Harcourt Brace & Company.

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