Mechanics I: Statics

Topic 2
Force Vectors – Part B
 3D Force Vectors
 Right-Handed Coordinates System
𝑧
𝐤

𝑂
𝐣 𝑦
 3D Cartesian Vector Representation
𝐀 = 𝐴𝑥 𝐢 + 𝐴𝑦 𝐣 + 𝐴𝑧 𝐤 𝐢
𝑥
𝐴= 𝐀 = (𝐴𝑥 )2 + (𝐴𝑦 )2 + (𝐴𝑧 )2

𝐀 = A𝐮𝐴
𝐀 𝐴𝑥 𝐴𝑦 𝐴𝑧
𝑈𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝑣𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝐮𝐴 = = 𝐢+ 𝐣+ 𝐤
𝐴 𝐴 𝐴 𝐴
Dr. S. K. Armah/Prof. S. P. Owusu-Ofori
 3D Force Vectors 𝑧
𝐤
 Direction of a 3D Vector
𝐴𝑧
o Direction cosines: 𝐀
𝐮𝐴
𝛾
𝐴𝑥 𝐴𝑦 𝐴𝑧
cos 𝛼 = cos 𝛽 = cos 𝛾 = 𝛼 𝛽 𝐴𝑦
𝐴 𝐴 𝐴
𝐴𝑥 𝐣 𝑦
𝐀′
𝐮𝐴 = cos 𝛼 𝐢 + cos 𝛽 𝐣 + cos 𝛾 𝐤 𝐢 0o ≤ 𝛼, 𝛽, 𝛾 ≤ 180o
𝑥

Important Relationship
cos 2 𝛼 + cos 2 𝛽 + cos 2 𝛾 = 1

Dr. S. K. Armah/Prof. S. P. Owusu-Ofori

 Example 8
Resultant of 3D Force Vectors
Determine the magnitude and the coordinate direction angles
of the resultant force acting on the ring in the figure.

Dr. S. K. Armah/Prof. S. P. Owusu-Ofori

 Example 9
• Cartesian Force Vectors
(a) Determine the value of 𝛼.
(b) Express the force F as a Cartesian vector.

𝐹 = 20 N

Dr. S. K. Armah/Prof. S. P. Owusu-Ofori

 Example 10
• Addition of 3D Cartesian Force Vectors
Two forces act on the hook shown in the figure. Specify the
magnitude of 𝐅2 so that the resultant force 𝐑 acts along the
positive y-axis and has a magnitude of 1000 N.

Dr. S. K. Armah/Prof. S. P. Owusu-Ofori

 Force Vectors from other Projection Angles
 Determine a Vector from Two Angles
o Given 𝐴, ∅, and 𝜃
o The two angles are not necessarily linked to 𝛼, 𝛽,
and 𝛾
𝑧
𝐴𝑧 = 𝐴cos ∅
𝐴𝑧

𝐀 𝐴′ = 𝐴sin ∅
∅ 𝐴𝑥 = 𝐴′ cos 𝜃 = 𝐴sin∅cos𝜃
𝑜 𝐴𝑦
𝑦 𝐴𝑦 = 𝐴′ sin 𝜃 = 𝐴sin∅sin𝜃
𝐴𝑥 𝜃
𝐀′
∴ 𝐀 = 𝐴sin∅cos𝜃𝐢 + 𝐴sin∅sin𝜃𝐣 + 𝐴cos ∅𝐤
𝑥

Dr. S. K. Armah/Prof. S. P. Owusu-Ofori

 Example 11
• Cartesian Force Vectors from Projection Angles
Express the force 𝐅 shown in the figure as a Cartesian vector.

𝐹 = 60 N

Dr. S. K. Armah/Prof. S. P. Owusu-Ofori

 Position Vectors
A position vector, r, is a fixed vector which locates a point in
space relative to another point. 𝑧

𝐵(x𝐵 , 𝑦𝐵 , 𝑧𝐵 )
o Example: 𝐴𝐵 (B relative to A),
P(x𝑃 , 𝑦𝑃 , 𝑧𝑃 )
𝑂𝐴 (A relative to) , 𝑂𝑃 (P relative to O), etc.
o It can be denoted as 𝐫 = 𝑥𝐢 + 𝑦𝐣 + 𝑧𝐤.
𝑜 𝑦
𝐫𝐴𝐵 = 𝐫𝐵 − 𝐫𝐴 𝐴 x𝐴 , 𝑦𝐴 , 𝑧𝐴
𝑥

𝐫𝐴𝐵 = 𝐴𝐵 = (𝑥𝐵 − 𝑥𝐴 )𝐢 + (𝑦𝐵 − 𝑦𝐴 )𝐣 + (𝑧𝐵 − 𝑧𝐴 )𝐤

𝐫𝑃 = 𝑂𝑃 = 𝑥𝑃 𝐢 + 𝑦𝑃 𝐣 + 𝑧𝑃 𝐤

Dr. S. K. Armah/Prof. S. P. Owusu-Ofori

 Example 12
𝑧
 Position Vectors 𝐴

Determine position vectors:

(a) rOA, rOB, rAB

𝐵
(b) 𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝐴 𝑡𝑜 𝐵
𝑜 𝑦

Dr. S. K. Armah/Prof. S. P. Owusu-Ofori

 The DOT Product
 Dot/Scalar Product
• The dot product of vectors 𝐀 and 𝐁 is defined as:
𝐀 = 𝐴𝑥 𝐢 + 𝐴 𝑦 𝐣 + 𝐴𝑧 𝐤
𝐀 • 𝐁 = 𝐴𝐵cos 𝜃

0𝑜 ≤ 𝜃 ≤ 180𝑜 𝜃 𝐁 = 𝐵𝑥 𝐢 + 𝐵𝑦 𝐣 + 𝐵𝑧 𝐤
• Operations:
o 𝐀•𝐁=𝐁•𝐀 Commutative Law
o 𝛼𝐀 • 𝛾𝐁 = 𝛼𝛾(𝐁 • 𝐀) Scalar multiplication
o 𝐀 • 𝐁 + 𝐂 = 𝐀 • 𝐁 + (𝐀 • 𝐂) Distributive Law
o 𝐢•𝐣=𝐣•𝐤=𝐤•𝐢=0 o 𝐢•𝐢=𝐣•𝐣=𝐤•𝐤=1
Cartesian Vector Formulation: 𝐀 • 𝐁

Dr. S. K. Armah/Prof. S. P. Owusu-Ofori

 Example 13

• Determine the angle between the cable AB and the 600 N

force.

Dr. S. K. Armah/Prof. S. P. Owusu-Ofori

 Example 14
 Determine the angle between the two forces acting at A.
• Determine the magnitude and direction angles of the resultant
force acting at A.

Dr. S. K. Armah/Prof. S. P. Owusu-Ofori

Assignment 2-Problem 1

The screw eye is subjected to

The two forces shown.
a. Express each force in
Cartesian vector form
b. Determine the resultant
Force vector
c. Determine the magnitude
and the direction angles of the resultant
force.
 Assignment 2-Problem 2
a. Put each force in the
Cartesian vector form.
b. Determine the magnitude and
of the resultant
of the two forces
FB and FC at point A.
 Assignment 2 –Problem 3
a. Determine the angle between
Cables AB and AC
b. Determine the magnitude
and direction angles of the
resultant of the two
forces at A.
 Assignment 2-Problem 4
a. Determine the angles
AB and AC make with
the pole.

b. Determine the magnitude

and direction of the resultant
force on the pole.