ZZ1001D: ENGINEERING MECHANICS

MODULE - 1

BASIC CONCEPTS

Dr. ROHAN BHASKER

Assistant Professor
Department of Civil Engineering
National Institute of Technology Calicut

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 Problem
The screw eye shown in figure is subjected to two forces, F1 and F2.
Determine the magnitude and direction of the resultant force.

Ans: 212.6 N, 39.8° anticlockwise from F1

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 Problem
A stake is being pulled out of the ground by means of two ropes as
shown. Knowing that α = 30°, determine (a) the magnitude of the
force P so that the resultant force exerted on the stake is vertical,
(b) the corresponding magnitude of the resultant.

Ans: (a) 101.4 N (b) 196.6 N

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 Problem

Meriam and Kraige

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 Problem
A crane (not shown) is supporting a 2,000-N crate (see Figure) through three cables: AB, CB, and DB. Note that D is at
the center of the outer edge of the crate; C is 1.6 m from the comer of this edge; and B is directly above the center of
the crate. What are the forces F1, F2, and F3 transmitted by the cables? (Question from the book by Irving Shames)
Ans: 648.1 N, 937.1 N, 631.1 N

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 Problem

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 Problem
Fx = 2647 lb
Fy = 1412 lb

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 Some Important Principles
Equilibrium Law: A system of two forces acting on a body can be in equilibrium only if they are equal in
magnitude, opposite in direction and collinear in action.

Law of Superposition: The action of a given system of forces on a rigid body will in no way be changed if we
add or subtract from them another system of forces in equilibrium.

Principle of Transmissibility of Forces: The point of application of a force may be transmitted along its line of
action without changing the effect of the force on any rigid body to which it may be applied.

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 Moment of a Force about a point
The magnitude of the moment is directly
proportional to the magnitude of F and
the perpendicular distance or moment
arm d. The larger the force or the longer
the moment arm, the greater the moment
or turning effect.

Note that if the force F is applied at an

angle θ ≠ 90°, then it will be more
difficult to turn the bolt since the
moment arm d = d sin θ will be smaller
than d. If F is applied along the wrench,
When a force is applied to a body it will its moment arm will be zero since the
produce a tendency for the body to rotate about line of action of F will intersect point O
a point that is not on the line of action of the (the z axis). As a result, the moment of F
force. This tendency to rotate is called the about O is also zero and no turning can
moment of a force or simply the moment. occur.

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 Moment of a Force about a point
Scalar Formulation The magnitude of MO is

M O = Fd
where d is the moment arm or perpendicular distance from the axis at point O to
the line of action of the force.

The direction of MO is defined by its moment axis, which is perpendicular to the

plane that contains the force F and its moment arm d.

Resultant Moment
For two-dimensional problems, where all the forces lie
within the x–y plane, the resultant moment (MR )O about
point O (the z axis) can be determined by finding the
algebraic sum of the moments caused by all the forces
in the system.
n
M o =  Fi di (sign must be considered)
i =1

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Moment of a Force about a point

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 Problem

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CROSS PRODUCT OF TWO VECTORS

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 Moment of a Force about a point
Vector Formulation

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 Moment of a Force about a point
Vector Formulation

Principle of Moments (Varignon’s Theorem)

The moment of a force about a point is equal to the sum of the
moments of the components of the force about the point.

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 Problem
Moment at A = 134.2 lb·ft (Clockwise)
Moment at B = 235 lb·ft (Anti-Clockwise)

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Moment of a Force about an axis
Scalar analysis

Vector analysis

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Moment of a Force about an axis
Determine the resultant moment of the three forces in figure
about the x axis, the y axis, and the z axis.

Hibbeler Example 4-7

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Moment of a Force about an axis
Determine the moment MAB produced by the force, which tends
to rotate the rod about the AB axis.

Hibbeler Example 4-8

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 Moment of a Couple
A couple is defined as two parallel forces that have the same magnitude, but opposite directions, and are separated by a
perpendicular distance d.
The only effect of a couple is to produce an actual rotation, or if no movement is possible,
there is a tendency of rotation in a specified direction

The moment produced by a couple is called a couple moment.

A couple moment is a free vector, and as a result it causes the same rotational effect on a
body regardless of where the couple moment is applied to the body.

M depends only upon the position vector r directed between the forces and not the
position vectors rA and rB, directed from the arbitrary point O to the forces. This
concept is unlike the moment of a force, which requires a definite point (or axis) about
which moments are determined.

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 Moment of a Couple
The moment of the two couple forces can be determined about any point. For convenience,
this point is often chosen on the line of action of one of the forces in order to eliminate the
moment of this force about the point.

Scalar Formulation: The moment of a couple, M, is defined as having a magnitude of M

= Fd, where F is the magnitude of one of the forces and d is the perpendicular distance or
moment arm between the forces. The direction and sense of the couple moment are
determined by the right-hand rule

Vector Formulation: In three dimensions, the couple moment is often determined using
the vector formulation, M = r x F, where r is directed from any point on the line of action of
one of the forces to any point on the line of action of the other force F.

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 Moment of a Couple
Equivalent Couples: If two couples produce a moment with the same magnitude and direction, then these two couples are
equivalent.

Resultant Couple Moment: If more than two couple moments act on the body, we may generalize this concept and
write the vector resultant as MR = (r x F)

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Moment of a Couple

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Moment of a Couple

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Equivalent Couple Systems

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Translation of a Force to a Parallel Position

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Translation of a Force to a Parallel Position

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Simplification of a force and Couple System
Sometimes it is convenient to reduce a system of forces and couple moments acting on a body to a simpler form by
replacing it with an equivalent system, consisting of a single resultant force acting at a specific point and a resultant couple
moment. A system is equivalent if the external effects it produces on a body are the same as those caused by the original
force and couple moment system. In this context, the external effects of a system refer to the translating and rotating
motion of the body if the body is free to move, or it refers to the reactive forces at the supports if the body is held fixed.

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Simplification of a force and Couple System
Replace the force and couple system shown in Figure by an equivalent resultant force and couple moment acting at point O.

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Simplification of a force and Couple System

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Simplification of a force and Couple System
The structural member is subjected to a couple moment M and forces F1 and F2 in Fig. 4–39a. Replace this system by
an equivalent resultant force and couple moment acting at its base, point O.

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Simplification of a force and Couple System
The structural member is subjected to a couple moment M and forces F1 and F2 in Fig. 4–39a. Replace this system by
an equivalent resultant force and couple moment acting at its base, point O.

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Further Simplification of a force and Couple System
Concurrent Force System

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Further Simplification of a force and Couple System
Coplanar Force System

This distance d can be determined from the scalar equation (MR)O = FR d or d = (MR)O/FR.

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Further Simplification of a force and Couple System
Parallel Force System

This distance d can be determined from the scalar equation (MR)O = FR d or d = (MR)O/FR.

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Further Simplification of a force and Couple System

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 Further Simplification of a force and Couple System
The slab in Fig. 4–46a is subjected to four parallel forces. Determine the magnitude and direction of a
resultant force equivalent to the given force system, and locate its point of application on the slab.

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Further Simplification of a force and Couple System

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 Reduction to a Wrench

This combination of a resultant force FR and collinear couple moment M|| will tend to translate and rotate the body
about its axis and is referred to as a wrench or screw. A wrench is the simplest system that can represent any general
force and couple moment system acting on a body.

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 Reduction to a Wrench
Replace the three forces acting on the plate by a wrench. Specify the magnitude of the force and couple moment for
the wrench and the point P(x, y) where the wrench intersects the plate.

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Distributed Loading

This coordinate, locates the geometric center or centroid of the area

under the distributed loading. In other words, the resultant force has a line
of action which passes through the centroid C (geometric center) of the
area under the loading diagram

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 Distributed Loading
Determine the magnitude and location of the equivalent resultant force

160N, 1.5m from O 675 lb, 4 ft from A

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 Distributed Loading
Determine the resultant force and specify where it acts on the beam measured from A.

1550 lb, 5.03 ft

40.5 kN, 1.25m

160N, 3.2m

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 Distributed Loading
Currently eighty-five percent of all neck injuries are Replace the distributed loading by an equivalent resultant force
caused by rear-end car collisions. To alleviate this and specify where its line of action intersects a vertical line
problem, an automobile seat restraint has been developed along member BC, measured from C.
that provides additional pressure contact with the
cranium. During dynamic tests the distribution of load on 3.69 m
the cranium has been plotted and shown to be parabolic.
Determine the equivalent resultant force and its location,
measured from point A.

7 lb, 0.268 ft

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