• Method of Virtual Work

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• Degrees of freedom
• Constraints
• Virtual displacement: imaginary displacement
of the system under equilibrium 
Displacement is consistent with constraints.

VIT / FALL 2018-19 / KHALID

• Degrees of freedom
• Constraints
• Virtual displacement: imaginary displacement of
the system under equilibrium  Displacement
is consistent with constraints.
• Method of virtual work: the necessary and
sufficient condition for a system to be in
equilibrium is that the virtual work done by
externally applied force VANISHES.

VIT / FALL 2018-19 / KHALID

Work of a force

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Principle of Virtual Work
• Imagine the small virtual displacement of particle which
is acted upon by several forces.
• The corresponding virtual work,
         
U  F1  r  F2  r  F3  r  F1  F2  F3  r
 
 R  r

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Work of a Force During a Finite Displacement

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System with friction

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VIT / FALL 2018-19 / KHALID
Work of a Force During a Finite Displacement
Work of a weight,

dU  Wdy
y2
U12    Wdy
y1
 Wy1  Wy 2
 Wy

• Work of a weight
U12  Wy1  Wy 2
The work is independent of path and depends only on
Wy  Vg  potential energy of the body with 
respect to the force of gravity W
 1  Vg 2
U12  V g
VIT / FALL 2018-19 / KHALID
Work of a Force During a Finite Displacement

Work of a spring,

dU   Fdx  kx dx

x2
U12    kx dx
x1

 12 kx12  12 kx22

• Work of a spring,
U12  12 kx12  12 kx22
 Ve 1  Ve 2
Ve  potential energy of the bodywith
respect to the elastic force F
VIT / FALL 2018-19 / KHALID
Potential Energy

dU  dV
U12  V1  V2
 negative of change in potential energy

• Forces for which the work can be calculated from a change

in potential energy are conservative forces.

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VIT / FALL 2018-19 / KHALID
Stability of Equilibrium

dV
0
d

d 2V d 2V Must examine higher

0 2
0 order derivatives.
2 d
d
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   
dU  F  dr = work of the force F corresponding to

the displacement dr

dU  F ds cos 

  0, dU   F ds    , dU   F ds   2 , dU  0

dU  Wdy

VIT / FALL 2018-19 / KHALID

Work of a Force
Forces which do no work:
• reaction at a frictionless pin due to rotation of a body
around the pin
• reaction at a frictionless surface due to motion of a
body along the surface
• weight of a body with cg moving horizontally
• friction force on a wheel moving without slipping

Sum of work done by several forces may be zero:

• bodies connected by a frictionless pin
• bodies connected by an inextensible cord
• internal forces holding together parts of a rigid body

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Work of a Couple
Small displacement of a rigid body:
• translation to A’B’
• rotation of B’ about A’ to B”

    
W   F  dr1  F  dr1  dr2 
 
 F  dr2  F ds2  F rd
 M d

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Applications of the Principle of Virtual Work
• Wish to determine the force of the vice on the
block for a given force P.
• Consider the work done by the external forces
for a virtual displacement . Only the forces P
and Q produce nonzero work.
U  0  U Q  U P  Q x B  P yC

x B  2l sin  yC  l cos
x B  2l cos  yC  l sin  

0  2Ql cos   Pl sin  

Q  12 P tan 

• If the virtual displacement is consistent with the

constraints imposed by supports and connections,
only the work of loads, applied forces, and
friction forces need be considered.
VIT / FALL 2018-19 / KHALID
 Real Machines. Mechanical Efficiency
  mechanical efficiency
output wor k of actual machine

output wor k of ideal machine

output work

input work
2Ql cos 

• For an ideal machine without friction, the Pl sin 
output work is equal to the input work.  1   cot 
• When the effect of friction is
considered, the output work is reduced.
U  Qx B  PyC  Fx B  0
0  2Ql cos   Pl sin   Pl cos
Q  12 Ptan    
VIT / FALL 2018-19 / KHALID
QUESTION-1
Determine the magnitude of the couple M required to
maintain the equilibrium of the mechanism.

SOLUTION:
• Apply the principle of virtual work
U  0   U M   U P
0  M  PxD

xD  3l cos
xD  3l sin 

0  M  P  3l sin  

M  3Pl sin 

VIT / FALL 2018-19 / KHALID

Question-2
Determine the expressions for  and for the tension in the
spring which correspond to the equilibrium position of the
spring. The unstretched length of the spring is h and the
constant of the spring is k. Neglect the weight of the
mechanism.

VIT / FALL 2018-19 / KHALID

Question-2
Determine the expressions for  and for the tension in the
spring which correspond to the equilibrium position of the
spring. The unstretched length of the spring is h and the
constant of the spring is k. Neglect the weight of the
mechanism.

VIT / FALL 2018-19 / KHALID

Question-2
Determine the expressions for  and for the tension in the
spring which correspond to the equilibrium position of the
spring. The unstretched length of the spring is h and the
constant of the spring is k. Neglect the weight of the
mechanism.
SOLUTION:
• Apply the principle of virtual work
U   U B  U F  0
0  Py B  FyC

y B  l sin  yC  2l sin  F  ks
y B  l cos yC  2l cos  k  yC  h 
 k 2l sin   h 
0  Pl cos   k 2l sin   h 2l cos 
P  2kh
sin  
4kl
F  12 P
VIT / FALL 2018-19 / KHALID
 Question-3
SOLUTION:
• Create a free-body diagram for the platform
and linkage.

A hydraulic lift table consisting of two

identical linkages and hydraulic cylinders • Apply the principle of virtual work for a
is used to raise a 1000-kg crate. Members virtual displacement  recognizing that only
EDB and CG are each of length 2a and the weight and hydraulic cylinder do work.
member AD is pinned to the midpoint of
U  0  QW  QFDH
EDB.
Determine the force exerted by each • Based on the geometry, substitute expressions
cylinder in raising the crate for  = 60o, a for the virtual displacements and solve for the
= 0.70 m, and L = 3.20 m. force in the hydraulic cylinder.
VIT / FALL 2018-19 / KHALID
SampleSOLUTION:
Problem 10.3
• Create a free-body diagram for the platform.
• Apply the principle of virtual work for a virtual
displacement 
U  0  QW  QFDH
0   12 Wy  FDH s
• Based on the geometry, substitute expressions for the
virtual displacements and solve for the force in the
hydraulic cylinder.
y  2a sin  s 2  a 2  L2  2aL cos
y  2a cos 2 ss  2aL sin  
aL sin 
s  
s
aL sin 
 
0   12 W 2a cos  FDH
s

s
FDH  W cot  FDH  5.15 kN
L
VIT / FALL 2018-19 / KHALID
Potential Energy and Equilibrium
• When the potential energy of a system is known,
the principle of virtual work becomes
dV
U  0  V   
d
dV
0
d

• For the structure shown,

V  Ve  V g  12 kx B2  WyC

 12 k 2l sin  2  W l cos 

• At the position of equilibrium,

dV
 0  l sin  4kl cos   W 
d
indicating two positions of equilibrium.
VIT / FALL 2018-19 / KHALID
 Question -4
SOLUTION:
• Derive an expression for the total potential
energy of the system.
V  Ve  Vg

• Determine the positions of equilibrium by

setting the derivative of the potential
energy to zero.
dV
0
d

• Evaluate the stability of the equilibrium

Knowing that the spring BC is unstretched positions by determining the sign of the
when  = 0, determine the position or second derivative of the potential energy.
positions of equilibrium and state whether d 2V ?
the equilibrium is stable, unstable, or 2
 0
d
neutral.

VIT / FALL 2018-19 / KHALID

SOLUTION:
• Derive an expression for the total potential energy of the
system.
V  Ve  Vg
 12 ks 2  mgy

 12 k a 2  mg b cos 

• Determine the positions of equilibrium by setting the

derivative of the potential energy to zero.
dV
 0  ka 2  mgb sin 
d
ka 2 4 kN m 0.08m 2
sin    
mgb  2
10kg  9.81m s 0.3m 
 0.8699

 0   0.902 rad  51.7

VIT / FALL 2018-19 / KHALID
• Evaluate the stability of the equilibrium positions by
determining the sign of the second derivative of the
potential energy.
V  12 k a 2  mg b cos 

dV
 0  ka 2  mgb sin   0
d
  0.902 rad  51.7

d 2V
 ka 2  mgb cos
d 2

 4 kN m 0.08m 2  10kg  9.81m s 2 0.3m  cos 
 25.6  29.43 cos

d 2V
at  = 0: 2
 3.83  0 unstable
d
d 2V
at  = 51.7o:  7.36  0 stable
2
d
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