DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION

ANDHRA PRADESH
Name : R SHAMEER BASHA
Designation : Lecturer
Branch : Civil Engineering
Institute : ESC. Govt. Polytechnic,
Nandyal, Kurnool Dist.
Year/Semester : I year
Subject : Engineering Mechanics
Subject Code : C106
Topic : Forces & Moments
Duration : 50 min.
Subtopic : Problems on parallelogram law of
forces
Teaching Aids : PPT, Animations, Sketches
Revised by : M. Mahesh9C106.5
& J. Ganga Reddy 1
 Forces & Moments

Problems on parallelogram law of forces

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 Objectives

On completion of this period, you would be able

to

• Determine the resultant of two coplanar concurrent

forces

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 Recap

As per Parallelogram law of forces

Magnitude of resultant R  P 2  Q 2  2 PQ cos 

Angle made by resultant with force P is given by

 Q sin  
  tan 1

 P  Q cos  

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 Problems

Example 1

If two forces 300 N and 400 N act on a body at an angle

of 600 with each other. Determine the resultant by using

Parallelogram law of forces

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 400 N

Given data R

600
 300 N
Force P = 300N

Force Q = 400N

Angle between the forces  = 600

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Magnitude of resultant, R  P  Q  2 PQ cos 
2 2

= 300  400  2 X 300 X 400 cos 60

2 2 0

= 608.3N

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Angle made by resultant with force P (300N),

 Q sin  
  tan  1

 P  Q cos  
 400sin 60 0

  tan 
1
0 
 300  400 cos 60 

= 34.7150 = 340 42’ 54”

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 Result

• Magnitude of resultant is 608.3 N

• Angle of resultant with 300 N force is 340 42’ 54”

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Example 2

Two forces 60N and 100N are acting at 900 to each

other. Calculate their resultant

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 Given data

Force P = 60 N

Force Q = 100 N

Angle between the forces, θ = 900

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 Solution

 Resultant of two mutually perpendicular forces given by

R  P Q 2 2

 60  1002 2

=116.6 N

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 Angle made by resultant with the force P (60N)

  tan Q / P 
1

 tan 1 100 / 60 

= 590 2’

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 Result

• Magnitude of resultant is 116.6 N

• Angle made by resultant with 60N is 590 2’

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 Summary

• Parallelogram law of forces gives the resultant

of two coplanar concurrent forces

• Magnitude of resultant R P 2  Q 2  2 PQ cos 

 Q sin  
• Angle made by resultant with force P   tan 1  
 P  Q cos  

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 QUIZ

1.Resultant of two mutually perpendicular forces 30N and

40N is

A) 50N
B) 60N
C) 70N
D) 75N

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2. Two forces of 100N each act at an angle of 1200.
Resultant of the forces is

A) 200 N
B) 100 N
C) 0 N
D) 150N

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 Frequently asked questions

1. Two forces 30 N and 40 N act at a point with angle of 300

between them. find the magnitude and direction of the

resultant.

2. The magnitude of resultant of two coplanar concurrent

forces acting at an angle of 600 between them is 100N.

One of the two forces is 40N. Determine the other force.

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