MOMENT AND COUPLE

THE TURNING EFFECT OF FORCE

BY ANEES RAJA
TURNING EFFECT OF FORCE

• Previously, we have been discussing the effects of forces, acting on

a body through their lines of action or at the point of their
intersection.
• But now, we shall discuss the effects of these forces, at some other
point, away from the point of intersection or their lines of action.

Point A
Line of action
of force
What will be the effect of force
d
F1 on rigidly connected point
A?
F1
MOMENT OF A FORCE

Moment is the turning effect produced by a force, on the body, on

which it acts.
The moment of a force is equal to the product of the force and the
perpendicular distance of the point, about which the moment is
required and the line of action of the force.

Point A
Line of action
of force

𝑀=𝐹 x 𝑑 d

d is also called as moment arm F1

MOMENT OF A FORCE

UNITS OF MOMENT
• Product of Force and Distance  N-m, kN-mm, lb-ft etc.
DIRECTION OF MOMENT
• Clockwise Moment
moment, whose effect is to turn or rotate the body, about
the point in the direction in which hands of a clock
move
• Anticlockwise Moment
moment, whose effect is to turn or rotate the body, about
the point in opposite direction in which hands of a clock
move
• Sign Conventions
Clockwise (+ve) anticlockwise (-ve)
MOMENT OF A FORCE

Graphical Representation of Moment

Consider a force P represented, in magnitude and direction, by the line AB. Let O
be a point, about which the moment of this force is required to be found out.
Now moment of the force P about O
M= P × OC = AB × OC
But AB × OC is equal to twice the area of triangle ABO.

Thus the moment of a force, about any point, is

equal to twice the area of the triangle, whose base is
the line to some scale representing the force and Moment = 2 x Area of Triangle
whose vertex is the point about which the moment
is taken.
MOMENT OF FORCE
Moment of a force is directly proportional to that force and its moment arm.

M = 10 x 5 = 50 Kgf-m M = 20 x 2.5 = 50 Kgf-m

20 KG
10 KG

5m 2.5 m
GETTING BENEFIT FROM THE MOMENT
ARM
For the same magnitude of force, its turning effect can be
enhanced by increasing the moment arm.
DIFFICUL EASY
T
MOMENT OF FORCE

Problem 1: A force of 15 N is applied to the edge of a door 0.8 m wide in two

different orientations. Find the moment of the force about the hinge in each case.

Problem 2: A uniform plank ABC of weight 30 N and 2 m long is supported at

one end A and at a point B 1.4 m from A as shown in Fig. 3.5.

Find the maximum weight W,

that can be placed at C, so that
the plank does not topple.
MOMENT OF FORCE
Home Assignment
1. A rod AB 2·5 m long is supported at A and B. The rod is carrying a point load of 5
kN at a distance of 1 m from A. What are the reactions at A and B ? [Ans. 2 kN ; 3
kN]
2. A beam AB 5 m long is supported at its ends A and B. Two point loads W1 and W2
are placed at C and D, 1 m and 3 m respectively from the end A. If the reaction at A is
twice the reaction at B, find the ratio of the loads W1 and W2. [Ans. W1: W2 = 2:1]

3. Two identical prismatic bars PQ and RS each

weighing 75 N are welded together to form a
Tee and are suspended in a vertical plane as
shown in Figure. Calculate the value of θ, that
the bar PQ will make with vertical when a load
of 100 N is applied at S. [Ans. 13.25°]
 VARIGNON’S PRINCIPLE OF MOMENTS
(LAW OF MOMENTS)
“If a number of coplanar forces are acting simultaneously on a particle,
the algebraic sum of the moments of all the forces about any point is
equal to the moment of their resultant force about the same point.”

If the sum of and is , then we can

assume that the sum of the moments
about point A exerted by and will be
equal to the moment exerted about
point A by .

• Varignon’s theorem can be used to easily find the location of resultant forces.
POSITION OF THE RESULTANT FORCE BY
MOMENTS
Problem: A system of forces is acting at
the corners of a rectangular block as
shown. Determine the magnitude and
direction of the resultant force.

R=85.15 kN

θ=273.4° θ=86.6°
PARALLEL FORCES

• Forces whose line of action is parallel to each other are called

parallel forces.
• Parallel forces do not meet each other at any point

Nonparallel forces

Parallel forces
LIKE AND UNLIKE PARALLEL FORCES

R Translation R Rotation

Like Parallel Forces Unlike Parallel Forces

lines of action parallel lines of action parallel

and in the same direction but in the opposite
direction
COUPLE

• A pair of two equal and unlike M=Fxd

parallel forces.

• It’s a system of force with a resultant

moment but no resultant force.

• A better term is force couple or pure

moment. Its effect is to create rotation
without translation
MOMENT OF A COUPLE

• The moment of a couple is the product of one

of the forces of the couple and the arm of the ARM OF THE COUPLE
couple The perpendicular distance
between the lines of action of
Mathematically: the two equal and opposite
parallel forces
Moment of a couple = P × a
where
P = Magnitude of the force, and a = Arm of the couple.
CHARACTERISTICS OF COUPLE

1. The algebraic sum of the forces, constituting the couple, is zero.

2. The algebraic sum of the moments of the forces, constituting the couple,
about any point is the same, and equal to the moment of the couple itself.

3. A couple cannot be balanced by a single force. But it can be balanced only by

a couple of opposite sense.

4. Any no. of coplanar couples can be reduced to a single couple, whose

magnitude will be equal to the algebraic sum of the moments of all the
couples.
COUPLE FORCE

Problem 1: A square ABCD has forces acting along its

sides as shown in Figure. Find the values of P and Q, if the
N
system reduces to a couple. Also find magnitude of the
couple, if the side of the square is 1 m.

Problem 2: Determine the resultant moment about point A

of the system of forces shown in Figure. Each square is 1 ft
on a side.
COUPLE FORCE

Problem 3: ABCD is rectangle, in which AB = CD = 100 mm and BC = DA = 80

mm. Forces of 100 N each act along AB and CD and forces of 50 N each at
along BC and DA. Find the resultant moment of the two couples.
[Ans. 13 000 N-mm]

Problem 4: A square ABCD has sides equal to 200 mm. Forces of 150 N each act
along AB and CD and 250 N act along CB and AD. Find the moment of the
couple, which will keep the system in equilibrium.
[Ans. 20 000 N-mm]