UNIT I 12

BASICS AND STATICS OF PARTICLES

Introduction – Units and Dimensions – Laws of Mechanics – Lami’s theorem,

Parallelogram and triangular Law of forces – Vectorial representation of forces
– Vector operations of forces - additions, subtraction, dot product, cross
product – Coplanar Forces – rectangular components – Equilibrium of a particle
– Forces in space – Equilibrium of a particle in space – Equivalent systems of
forces – Principle of transmissibility

AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER YOU WOULD HAVE LEARNT

• Fundamentals of mechanics: History, Units, Laws & Vector operations

• Classify forces & resolve concurrent, coplanar forces: equilibrium of a
particle and application to different engineering problems (statics of
particle, forces in a plane)
• Solve for resultant of concurrent, non-coplanar forces (statics of
particle, forces in space)
 STATICS OF PARTICLES
(Coplanar, Concurrent forces)

Resolution & Composition of forces

• Resultant: A single equivalent force that produces the
effect of all given system of forces acting on a particle
• Equilibrant: A force that has magnitude equal to the
resultant, acting exactly opposite to the direction of
the resultant and keeps the particle in equilibrium
 RESULTANT OF 2 FORCES BY PARALLELOGRAM
LAW

• Statement:

• Determination by analytical approach

 RESULTANT OF 2 FORCES BY TRIANGLE LAW

GRAPHICAL APPROACH ANALYTICAL APPROACH

=
 RESULTANT OF SEVERAL
FORCES BY POLYGON LAW
 RESOLUTION OF FORCE
(along straight edges of straight quadrant)
RESULTANT OF SEVERAL FORCES BY
ALGEBRAIC METHOD
Problem: Find the resultant of
concurrent coplanar forces shown
below by algebraic method.
 RESOLUTION OF FORCE
(along edges of inclined quadrant)
 EQUILIBRIUM OF A PARTICLE
If the resultant of a given system of forces is zero the body is said to be in
equilibrium
EQUILIBRIUM OF A PARTICLE IN EQUILIBRIUM OF A PARTICLE IN
HORIZONTAL PLANE INCLINED PLANE

The components of the resultant forces:

 Falong the plane
 F tothe plane
The components of the resultant forces independently become zero
independently become zero
Applicability of equilibrium to engineering problems
REACTION FORCE:
HORIZONTAL PLANE
BODY WEIGHT
REACTION FORCE: SPACE DIAGRAM &
INCLINED PLANE FREE BODY DIAGRAM
EQUILIBRIUM OF 2 EQUILIBRIUM OF 3 FORCE BODY
FORCE BODY -LAMI’S THEOREM

Situation where a body/particle is acted

upon by two collinear forces of equal
magnitude and opposite direction then
conditions of equilibrium are satisfied
Ex.: element or member of a truss

Situation where a body/particle is

acted upon by three concurrent
coplanar forces, and the conditions
of equilibrium are satisfied