CHEE1034: Fluid Mechanics

Section A – Engineering Principles

Moments and Equilibrium

Dr Stephen Grebby
Room: Coates – B36a
Email: Stephen.Grebby@nottingham.ac.uk
 Recap:

 Projectile motion:

 How to resolve velocity

 How to separate VERTICAL and HORIZONTAL

motion

 How to use the equations of motion to

calculate:
 Maximum height
 Range
 Time of flight
 What makes these work?

 How is electricity  What makes this

produced at a hydropower hopper self-dumping?
plant?
 Learning outcomes:

 By the end of this session you will understand:

 How to calculate the Moment of a Force

 The concepts of:

 centre of mass and centre of gravity

 How to solve problems for bodies in

equilibrium
 Moment of a Force (torque):

 Torque (or moment) is the tendency of a force to

cause an object to rotate around a fixed axis (pivot
point)

 Just as a force is a push or a pull, torque can be

thought of as a twist
 Moment of a Force (torque):

The moment or torque (τ) of the force (F) about the

axis (O) is defined as:

τ = Fr Units: N m

Pivot F = the force acting on the

point F object

r = distance between the

pivot point and the point
r where the force acts
(lever arm)
(known as the lever arm)
 Moment of a Force (torque):

 Consider a door:

Scenario A Scenario B
Pivot Pivot
point F point F

r r
(lever arm) (lever arm)

Since the lever arm is shorter in Scenario B, a greater force

must be applied in order to rotate the door about its hinges
 Moment of a Force (torque):

 Consider the following:

 F acts parallel to the lever arm

and so will not create torque

F| acts perpendicular to the
lever arm and will create
F
torque

F
F|
θ
F = F sinθ
| τ = Fr |
τ = r F sinθ
 Moment of a Force (torque):
important point

 Remember Newton’s 3rd law:

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction

Pivot  The force acting on

point the rod will transmit
a force to the pivot

 According to N3,
the pivot will exert
a reaction force on
Reaction force (R) exerted on rod
by the pivot the rod
 Centre of mass/gravity:

r2
r1 An object's centre of mass
(C) is the point around
m1 m2 which the resultant
torque due to gravitational
C forces is balanced:
W1
W2
W
r1 W1 sin90° = r2 W2 sin90° r1m1g sin90° = r2m2g sin90°

At an object's centre of mass: r1m1 = r2m2

• An object's centre of mass is the point where the object’s entire
weight (W) acts (i.e., its centre of gravity)
 Worked example:

3m
Assuming that the 5m
object is balanced,
calculate force F.

20 N
F
Answer

τ = r F sinθ , S n =0 5×20×sin90° = 3×F×sin90°

3×F = 5×20 F = (5×20)/ 3 = 33.3 N

 Now it’s your turn….

Answer the following questions on the law of moments:

Equilibrium

Any object whose net translational

and rotational acceleration is zero is
said to be in EQUILIBRIUM

SF n =0

S n =0
 Worked example:

Assuming that the 0.7 m

0.3 m
object is in
equilibrium, calculate 20 kg 8 kg
weight of the 1 m rod

Answer W

τ = r F sinθ , S n =0

0.3×W20×sin90° = (0.2 ×W×sin90°)+(0.7×W8×sin90°)

60 = (0.2×W)+56 W = (60-56)/0.2 = 20 N
 Now it’s your turn….
Answer the following questions on the law of moments:
A uniform rod 1.0 m long has masses 20 kg and 8.0 kg at its ends. It balances 30
cm from one end.
(a) Construct a diagram showing the pivot and all of the forces acting.
(b) Use your diagram to find the weight of the rod.

A uniform rod is pivoted 10 cm from one end and

the other end is connected to a cord that runs over
a puller and is joined to a 25 kg mass.
(a) Draw a diagram showing the pivot and all
forces acting on the rod and their distances
from the pivot.
(b) Use your diagram to calculate the rod’s weight.

A horizontal uniform rod AB 180 cm long and of mass 8.0 kg is supported by two
vertical strings A and B. Masses of 10 kg and 12 kg are placed 40 cm and 150 cm
from A. Draw a diagram showing all of the forces acting and use it to find the
tension in each string.
 Challenging worked
example:
 Trap door
A hinged trap door of length 0.8 m is suspended by a
rope and is in equilibrium. The trap door has a weight of
40 N, acting at 0.3 m from the hinge, and there is an
angle of 40° between the door and the rope.

Calculate:
(a)the tension force
on the rope
(b)the reaction force
acting at the
hinge.
 Worked example: Answer

Free body diagram: (a) The tension force (T) on the

rope.

In equilibrium, so we know:

S Fn = 0 & S n = 0
τ = r F sinθ
Note: reaction
S n = ((0.3+0.5)×T×sin40°) – 0.3×40×sin90° = 0 force R doesn’t
create torque
since ‘r’ is 0

0.3×40
0.8×T×sin40° = 0.3×40 T=
0.8×sin40°
= 23.3 N
 Worked example: Answer

Resolve forces into horizontal (b) The reaction force acting

and vertical components:
at the hinge.

In equilibrium, so we know:

S Fn = 0 & S n = 0

S Fx = 0 S Fy = 0

S Fx = Rx + (-Tx) = 0

Rx = Tx = T cos40°= 23.3 × cos40° = 17.8 N

 Worked example: Answer

Resolve forces into horizontal (b) The reaction force acting

and vertical components:
at the hinge.

In equilibrium, so we know:

S Fn = 0 & S n = 0

S Fx = 0 S Fy = 0

S Fy = Ry + Ty + (-W) = 0
Ry = W – Ty = 40 – T sin40° = 40–(23.3×sin40°)
= 25.0 N
 Worked example: Answer

Magnitude of R:

R2 = Rx2 + Ry2
R = √(Rx2 + Ry2)
= √(17.82 + 252) = 30.7 N

Ry 25
Direction of R: θ= tan-1 = tan−1 = 54.5°
Rx 17.8
Challenging problem to
consider:

F
A ladder is leaning
2m
against a wall. If W is 500
N, calculate the force
exerted on the ladder by
3m the wall (F) and then
R? deduce the reaction
W force (R) at the floor.
3m
 Worked example: answer

First we need to be able to recognise

that this is an equilibrium problem.

In equilibrium:

S Fn = 0 & S n = 0

θ = 90 – φ
Need to
find θ: sin φ = 3/5
φ = sin-1 (3/5) = 36.9°

θ= 90 – 36.9° = 53.1°
Worked example: answer

F
θ
From the similar triangles, we know:
2m φ
β = φ = 36.9°

S n = (5×Fsinθ) + (3×-500sinβ) = 0 3m β
W
Pivot
5F sinθ = 1500 sinβ point
3m
1500 sinβ 1500 sin 36.9°
F= = = 225.2 N
5 sinθ 5 sin 53.1°
 Worked example: answer

F
In equilibrium, so we know: S Forcen = 0
S Forcex = 0 S Forcey = 0
In x-direction: F + Rx = 0 Rx = -F = -225.2 N

R? In y-direction: W + Ry = 0 Ry = -W = +500 N

Ry
W R2 = Rx2 + Ry2 R = √(Rx2 + Ry2)

Rx 3m R = √(-225.22+5002) = 548.4 N
Ry 500
θR = tan-1 = tan−1 = 65.7°
Rx 225.2
 Recap:

 You should now understand:

 How to calculate the Moment of a Force

 The concepts of:

 centre of mass and centre of gravity

How to solve problems for bodies in

equilibrium
Next topic:

 Conservation Laws:
 Conservation of momentum
 Conservation of energy
 Coefficient of Restitution