INTRODUCTION

STATICS OF RIGID BODIES

ENGINEERING MECHANICS
 Engineering Mechanics maybe defined as the science which considers the effects of forces on
rigid bodies. The subject divides naturally into two parts: statics and dynamics. In statics we
consider the effects and distribution of forces on rigid bodies which are and remain at rest. In
dynamics we consider the motion of rigid bodies caused by the forces acting upon them.
FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS
AND DEFINITIONS
Rigid Body is defined as a definite amount of matter the parts of which are fixed in position
relative to each other.

Force may be defined as that which changes, or tends to change, the state of motion of a body.
Characteristics of a force are
 Its magnitude
 The position of its line of action
 The direction in which the force acts along its line of action

The unit of force commonly used in the united US is the pound. Here we are going to use gram
and kilogram as well.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A
FORCE
Force is represented as a vector, an arrow with its magnitude.
For the force shown below, magnitude of force is 4KN, direction is 40° with the horizontal in
fourth quadrant, point of application is C and line of action is AB.
PRINCIPLE OF
TRANSMISSIBILITY
The principle of transmissibility of a force state that the external effect of a force on a body is
the same for all points of application along its line of action.
FORCE SYSTEM
A force system is any arrangement where two or more forces act on a body or on a group of
related bodies.
TYPE OF FORCE SYSTEM
Coplanar System – is when
the lines of action of all the
forces in a force system lie in
one plane.

Non-Coplanar Force
System- opposite of coplanar
system.
TYPE OF FORCE SYSTEM
Collinear Force System- When the
lines of action of all the forces of a
system act along the same line, this
force system is called collinear force
system.

Parallel Force System - are those in

which line of action are parallel
TYPE OF FORCE SYSTEM
Concurrent Force System – are forces
whose line of action pass through a
common point

Non-concurrent Force System – are

those in which line of action neither are
parallel nor intersect in a common
point.
AXIOMS OF MECHANICS
 The resultant of two forces is the diagonal of the parallelogram formed on the vectors of these
forces.
 Two forces are in equilibrium only when equal in magnitude, opposite in direction, and
collinear in action.
 A set of forces in equilibrium may be added to any system of forces without changing the
effect of the original system.
 Action and reaction forces are equal but oppositely directed.