LESSON#4: RESULTANT OF COPLANAR FORCE

SYSTEM

Statics - RB

MODULE 1-PRELIM
HOLY ANGEL UNIVERSITY
School of Engineering and Architecture
Department of Civil Engineering
 LESSON#4: RESULTANT OF COPLANAR FORCE SYSTEM MODULE 1-PRELIM

LESSON#4: Resultant of Coplanar Force System

In this lesson you will be able to determine the resultants of non-concurrent force systems.
Calculate simple distributed loading to a resultant force having a specified location.

All concepts sample problems and figures are from the followings books,
 Meriam, Kraig.(2012). Engineering Mechanics Statics, 9th ed. John Wiley & Sons.
 Beer, Johnston, Mazurek, Eisenberg. (2010). Vector Mechanics for Engineers: STATICS, 7th
ed.,McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
 R.C.Hibbeler (2010). Engineering Mechanics, 12th ed., New Jersey: Prentice Hall
 Pytel, Kiusalaas (2010). Engineering Mechanics:Statics, 3rd ed., Cengage Learning, Stamford,
CT USA
You can also refer to the following online pages for additional information.
 HAU BOOKs 24x7
 http://www.civilengineering.com
 CE 474 Structural Analysis II Homepage.https://engineering.purdue.edu/~ce474/
 NPTEL Phase II::Civil Engineering-Structural Analysis I .nptel.ac.in/downloads/105101085/

Resultant
 The resultant of a force system is defined to be the simplest system that can replace the
original system without changing its external effect on a rigid body.
 The resultant of a force system must be one of the following:*
 A resultant force R (if CR =0 or if R and CR are perpendicular)
 A resultant couple-vector CR (if R=0)
 A resultant force-couple system
(if R and CR are not mutually perpendicular)

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 LESSON#4: RESULTANT OF COPLANAR FORCE SYSTEM MODULE 1-PRELIM

General coplanar force system

𝑰𝒇 ∑ 𝑭 ≠ 𝟎, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐑 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐲

𝑹 𝒙 = ∑ 𝑭𝒙 𝑹 𝒚 = ∑ 𝑭𝒚 𝑹 𝒛 = ∑ 𝑭𝒛

𝑰𝒇 ∑ 𝑭 = 𝟎 𝒂𝒏𝒅 ∑ 𝑴𝒐 ≠ 𝟎, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐞

𝑪𝑹 = ∑ 𝑴𝒐

Concurrent, coplanar force system

The resultant of a concurrent, coplanar force system is the force

𝑹 = ∑𝑭

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𝑹 𝒙 = ∑ 𝑭𝒙 𝑹 𝒚 = ∑ 𝑭𝒚 𝑹 𝒛 = ∑ 𝑭𝒛

𝑹 = 𝑭𝟏 + 𝑭𝟐 + 𝑭𝟑 + ⋯ = ∑ 𝑭

𝑪𝑹 = 𝑭𝟏 𝒙𝟏 + 𝑭𝟐 𝒙𝟐 + 𝑭𝟑 𝒙𝟑 + ⋯ = ∑ 𝑴𝒐

If ∑ 𝑭 ≠ 𝟎, the resultant is a force is R located at the distance x from O, as indicated in Fig. c. The
value of x is obtained by equating the moments about O in fig. b and fig.c:

∑ 𝑴𝒐 = 𝑹𝒙

If, on the other hand, ∑ 𝑭 = 𝟎 𝒂𝒏𝒅 ∑ 𝑴𝒐 ≠ 𝟎, then the resultant is the couple 𝑪𝑹 = ∑ 𝑴𝒐 .

Example #1: (P3.16, Engineering Mechanics,Pytel,

3rd ed.)

Determine the resultant force R and its line of

action for the following force-couple systems.

𝑎. 𝐹𝑥 = 300 𝑙𝑏, 𝐹𝑦 = 0, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐶 = −900 𝑙𝑏. 𝑖𝑛

𝑏. 𝐹𝑥 = 200 𝑁, 𝐹𝑦 = −200𝑁, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐶 = 800 𝑁. 𝑚

c. 𝐹𝑥 = −600𝑘𝑁, 𝐹𝑦 = −400𝑘𝑁, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐶 = 0

∑ 𝑀0 = 𝐹𝑑
𝑑. 𝐹𝑥 = −600 𝑙𝑏, 𝐹𝑦 = 800𝑙𝑏, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐶
= −24000 𝑙𝑏. ft −900 = −300𝑑
Solution: 𝑑 = 3𝑖𝑛

𝑎. 𝐹𝑥 = 300 𝑙𝑏, 𝐹𝑦 = 0, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐶 = −900 𝑙𝑏. 𝑖𝑛 𝑅 = 300𝑖 𝑙𝑏, 𝑦 = −3𝑖𝑛

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LESSON#4: RESULTANT OF COPLANAR FORCE SYSTEM MODULE 1-PRELIM

𝑏. 𝐹𝑥 = 200 𝑁, 𝐹𝑦 = −200𝑁, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐶 = 800 𝑁. 𝑚

𝑅 = √(200)2 + (−200)2

𝑅 = 282.84 𝑁
𝐹𝑦
tan 𝜃 =
𝐹𝑥
200
tan 𝜃 =
200
𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝐶 = 0, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑅 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑛
𝜃 = 450

∑ 𝑀0 = 𝐹𝑑

800 = 200𝑑
𝑑. 𝐹𝑥 = −600 𝑙𝑏, 𝐹𝑦 = 800𝑙𝑏, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐶
𝑑 = 4m
= −24000 𝑙𝑏. ft
𝑅 = 200𝑖 − 200𝑗, 𝑎𝑡 𝑦 = 4𝑚

c. 𝐹𝑥 = −600𝑘𝑁, 𝐹𝑦 = −400𝑘𝑁, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐶 = 0

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LESSON#4: RESULTANT OF COPLANAR FORCE SYSTEM MODULE 1-PRELIM

Solution:

𝑅 = −600𝑖 + 800𝑗, 𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑦 𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑠

𝑦 = 40𝑓𝑡

Example #2: (SP.3.6, Engineering Mechanics.Pytel,

3rd ed.)

The force system shown consists of the couple C and

four forces. If the resultant of this system is a 500-lb
· in. counterclockwise couple, determine P, Q, and C.

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LESSON#4: RESULTANT OF COPLANAR FORCE SYSTEM MODULE 1-PRELIM

Example #3: (P.3.19, Engineering

Mechanics.Pytel, 3rd ed.)

The overhead electric hoist C rides along a track on

the horizontal beam AB. In addition to the 500-kN
vertical force carried by the hoist, the beam also
supports the three vertical forces shown. (a) If x =5
m, determine the resultant of the four forces
carried by the beam. (b) Determine the distance x
for which the resultant of the four forces would act
at the center of the span AB. 𝑏. 𝑅𝑒𝑠𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑠

𝑎𝑐𝑡 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟, 𝑥 =?

𝑅 = 1120 𝑘𝑁

𝑑 = 8.5 𝑚

1120(8.5) = (300𝑥2) + (120𝑥10) + (200𝑥14)

+ (500)(𝑥)
Solution:
𝑥 = 9.84 𝑚
𝑎. 𝑅𝑒𝑠𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑠, 𝑥 = 5𝑚

↓ + ∑ 𝐹𝑦 = 𝑅

𝑅 = 300 + 120 + 200 + 500 = 1120 𝑘𝑁

1120𝑑 = (300𝑥2) + (120𝑥10) + (200𝑥14)

+ (500𝑥5)

𝑑 = 6.34 𝑚

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 LESSON#4: RESULTANT OF COPLANAR FORCE SYSTEM MODULE 1-PRELIM

RESULTANT OF THREE DIMENSIONAL SYSTEMS

Concurrent, three-dimensional force system

𝑹 = ∑ 𝑭 (𝑹𝒙 = ∑ 𝑭𝒙 , 𝑹𝒚 = ∑ 𝑭𝒚 , 𝑹𝒛 = ∑ 𝑭𝒛 )

Parallel, three-dimensional force system

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The scalar components of this vector equation are

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 LESSON#4: RESULTANT OF COPLANAR FORCE SYSTEM MODULE 1-PRELIM

Reduction to a Wrench

In general, a three-dimensional force and couple moment system will have an equivalent resultant
force R acting at point O and a resultant couple CR moment that are not perpendicular to one
another, as shown
Although a force system such as this cannot be further reduced to an equivalent single resultant
force, the resultant couple moment can be resolved into components parallel and perpendicular to
the line of action of R ,
The perpendicular component of the resultant couple can be replaced if we move to point A, a distance
d from point O along the axis, Fig. c. As seen, this axis is perpendicular to both the a axis and the line
𝐶𝑛𝑅
of action of R. The location of A can be determined from 𝑑 = . Finally, because 𝐶𝑡𝑅 is a free vector, it
𝑅
can be moved to point A, Fig. d. This combination of a resultant force and collinear couple moment 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.

By definition a wrench is positive if the couple and force vectors point in the same direction and negative if they
point in opposite directions. A common example of a positive wrench is found with the application of a
screwdriver, to drive a right-handed screw. Any general force system may be represented by a wrench applied
along a unique line of action.

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Example #4: (E.4.19. Engineering Mechanics

Statics, R.C.Hibbeler, 12th ed.)

The slab shown 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.

Solution: Scalar

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