ME 161 (CE & EE)

ASSIGNMENT I

1. Determine the maginitude and direction of the resultant FR = F1 + F2 + F3 and specify its direction measured
counter-clockwise from the x-axis.

Fig 1

2. Determine P and Ɵ so that the three forces shown in Fig. 2 are equivalent to the single force R = 85i + 20j
kN

Fig. 2

3. Replace the three forces acting on the bracket in Fig 3 with a single equivalent force.

Fig. 3
4. The 400 N engine block is suspended by the cables AB and AC. If you don’t want either TAB or TAC to exceed
400 N, what is the smallest acceptable value of the angle α?

400

Fig 4

5. The man wants the 200 N crate to start sliding toward the righ. To achieve this, the horizontal component
of force exerted on the crate must be 0.3 times the weight of the crate. What is the magnitude of the force
the man must exert on the rope in each of the cases presented in Figure 5?

Fig 5
6. The man exerts a force P of magnitude 250 N on the handles of the wheelbarrow. Knowing that the resultant
of the two forces P, Q and W is the force R = 50i, determine W.

Fig 6

7. Replace the three forces acting on the guy wires by a single, equivalent force acting on the flagpole. Use T1
= 1000 N, T2 = 2000 N, and T3 = 1750 N.

Fig 7

8. Determine the resultant force R that is equivalent to the forces exerted by the three tugboats as they
manoeuvre the barge. Specify the coordinate of the point on the x-axis through which R passes. (Hint: First
determine the resultant force for the two forces at point A, and then combine this result with the force at
point B.)
 Fig. 8

9. In order to move a wrecked truck, two cables are attached at A and pulled by winches B and C as shown.
Knowing that the tension is 10 kN in cable AB and 7.5 kN in cable AC, determine the magnitude and
direction of the resultant of the forces exerted at A by the two cables.

Fig. 9

10. Determine the magnitude and direction of the smallest force F3 so that the resultant of all three forces has a
magnitude of 20N.

Fig. 10
11. The 600 N box I held in place on the smooth bed of the dump truck by the rope AB. Determine the tension
in the rope if α = 25o. If the maximum allowable tension in the rope is 400 N, what is the maximum allowable
value of α?

Fig. 11

12. Resolve the 250 N force shown in Figure 12 into components acting along the u and v axes and determine
the magnitudes of these components.

Figure 12
 FORCES & MOMENTS
Moment of a Force
Forces have the tendency to cause two types motions in rigid bodies; translational and
rotational motions.
The tendency of a force to rotate a body is referred to as moment.
A moment may occur about a point; the Moment Centre.

MO
  
A
Mo  r  F
r
θ rsin  d
O
d M o  Fr sin   Fd

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 FORCES & MOMENTS
Moment of a force
d is always perpendicular to the Force’s line of action, so, the Force is treated as a sliding
vector, due to the principle of transmissibility in rigid body mechanics.

F’
.
.
.
.

The direction of the moment is determined by the right hand rule.

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 FORCES & MOMENTS
Principle of Moments (Varignon’s Theorem )
 States that the moment about a given point O of the resultant of several concurrent forces is
equal to the sum of the moments of the various forces about the same point O.
 In effect, moments of force components can be taken to get the components of a resultant
moment.
z
z
   
F1 F2 
MO   r  F  Fz 
MO   r  F 
    Fy   
A   
 r  F1  r  F2  r  F3  r A   
 r  Fx  r  Fy  r  Fz 
   
Fx
r F3     O
O  r (F1  F2  F3 ) y  r (Fx  Fy  Fz )
y
   
 r R x C  r R
x C

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 FORCES & MOMENTS
Calculating the Moment of a force
 Scalar Approach
Mo  d  F
 Only the magnitude of the moment is calculated using only the magnitudes of the force
and the moment arm, d, defined as the perpendicular distance between the line of action
of the force and the moment centre.
 Used when the moment, d can easily be determined. The sense of the moment is
determined by inspection.

 Vector Approach
 The position vector for the point of application of the force is multiplied by the
components of the force to get the components of the Resultant moment.

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 FORCES & MOMENTS
Calculating the Moment of a force
Example
A 100-lb vertical force is applied to the
end of a lever which is attached to a
shaft at O. A

Determine:
a) moment about O,
100 lb
b) horizontal force at A which creates the
same moment,
c) smallest force at A which produces the
60o
same moment,
O
d) location for a 240-lb vertical force to
produce the same moment,
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 FORCES & MOMENTS
Calculating the Moment of a force
Solution

FBD Moment about O is equal to the product of the force and the
A
perpendicular distance between the line of action of the force
and O.
M O  Fd
100 lb
d  24 in.  cos 60   12 in.
M O  100 lb 12 in.  

Since the force tends to rotate the lever clockwise, the moment
60o
O vector is into the plane of the paper.
d

Mo

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 FORCES & MOMENTS
Calculating the Moment of a force
Solution

FBD Horizontal force at A that produces the same moment,

A
F
d  24 in.sin 60  20.8 in.
M O  Fd
d 1200 lb  in.  F 20.8 in.
1200 lb  in.
F
60o 20.8 in.

O
Mo

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 FORCES & MOMENTS
Calculating the Moment of a force
Solution

FBD The smallest force A to produce the same moment occurs when
A the perpendicular distance is a maximum or when F is
perpendicular to OA.
F

M O  Fd
1200 lb  in.  F 24 in.
1200 lb  in.
60o F
24 in.
O 
Mo

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 FORCES & MOMENTS
Calculating the Moment of a force
Solution
The point of application of a 240 lb force to produce the same moment,
FBD A

M O  Fd
1200 lb  in.  240 lb d
240 lb 1200 lb  in.
d  5 in.
240 lb
OB  5cos -1 60 

60o
O
d
Mo

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 FORCES & MOMENTS
Calculating the Moment of a force
Example
Determine the moment of the force F about point A.

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 FORCES & MOMENTS
Calculating the Moment of a force
Solution (Scalar Approach)

OR
The vector is treated as a sliding vector and moved to point C

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 FORCES & MOMENTS
Calculating the Moment of a force
Example
Determine the moment of the 800 N force about point A.

800 N

38o

0.6 m

Ans: M A  131.99 Nm
A
0.5 m

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 FORCES & MOMENTS
Calculating the Moment of a force
Example
It is known that the connecting rod AB exerts on the crank BC a 1.5 kN force directed down and to the left
along the centerline of AB.
• Determine the moment of the force about C.
• Determine the moment of that same force about C if it were being exerted at B, parallel to the
centreline AC.

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 FORCES & MOMENTS
Calculating the Moment of a force
Example
A crowbar is used to remove a nail as shown. Determine the moment of the 60 N force about the point O of
contact between the crowbar and the small support block.

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 FORCES & MOMENTS
Calculating the Moment of a force
 Multiplying Vectors
 Vectors are expressed in components, arranged in a matrix form, and the determinant of
the matrix taken.
       
If r  xi  yj  zk and F  Fx i  Fy j  Fz k
Expressing as a matrix,
   z
i j k Fzk
  
MO  r  F  x y z A (x,y,z)
zk
Fx Fy Fz Fyj
r A
Taking the determinant of the matrix, O Fxi

    yj
M O   yFz  zFy i   xFz  zFx  j  xFy  yFx k
y
xi
  
 M xi  M y j  M z k C
x
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 FORCES & MOMENTS
Calculating the Moment of a force
 Multiplying Vectors
 Alternatively,
  the vector components are multiplied.
MO  r  F
     
 
 xi  yj  zk  Fx i  Fy j  Fz k 
           
      
 xi  yj  zk  Fx i  xi  yj  zk  Fy j  xi  yj  zk  Fz k  
But
  z
i  i  0 j  i  k k  i  j Fzk
i
i  j  k j  j  0 k  j  i k
x A (x,y,z)
ik   j jk  i k k  0 zk
j Fyj
Therefore, r A
      O Fxi
M O   yFx k  zFx j  xFy k  zFy i  xFz j  yFz i yj
   y
  yFz  zFy i   xFz  zFx  j  xFy  yFx k xi
   C
 M xi  M y j  M z k
x
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 FORCES & MOMENTS
Calculating the Moment of a force

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 FORCES & MOMENTS
Calculating the Moment of a force
Example
Determine the moment of the force F about point A.

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 FORCES & MOMENTS
Calculating the Moment of a force
Solution (Vector Approach)

 4 3
F   200i   200 j
5 5
 160i  120 j

 
r  rAB  rB  rA  0  4 i  6  0  j  4i  6 j

i j k
    
M A  r  F  rAB  F   4 6 0
 160 120 0
 480k lb.in

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 FORCES & MOMENTS
Calculating the Moment of a force
Example
Determine the moment of the force F, about point C the perpendicular distance between C
and the line of action of F.

2m

B
F = 500 N
A
3m
y
rCA
4m C
x

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 FORCES & MOMENTS
Calculating the Moment of a force
  
Solution M C  rA / C  F

    
rA / C  rA  rC  0 m - 2 m i  4 m - 4 m  j  0 m - 0 m k
 2 mi
z
   2i  4 j  3k 
F  F  500 N  
 2 2   4   32 
2
 
2m   
 (185.53 N) i  371.06 N  j  278.29 N k
B
F = 500 N   
A i j k
3m 
y MC   2 0 0
rCA
185.53  371.06 278.29
4m C
x  556.58 j  742.12k
M C  (556.58) 2  (742.12) 2
 927.64 Nm
M 927.64 Nm
The perpendicular distance, d    1.86 m
F 500 N
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 FORCES & MOMENTS
Calculating the Moment of a force
Example
A tension of magnitude 10 kN is applied to the cable attached to the top A of the rigid mast
and secured to the ground at B. Determine the moment of T about the point O.

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 FORCES & MOMENTS
Calculating the Moment of a force
Example
The turn buckle is tightened until the tension is cable AB is 2.4 kN. Determine the moment
about point O of the cable force acting on point A and the magnitude of this moment.

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 FORCES & MOMENTS
Calculating the Moment of a force
Example
The rectangular plate is supported by the brackets at A and B and by a wire CD. Knowing
that the tension in the wire is 200 N, determine the moment about A of the force exerted by
the wire at C.

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 FORCES & MOMENTS
Calculating the Moment of a force
Solution
  
M A  rC A  F
  
rC A  0.3 m i  0.08 m  j
  
   0.3 m i  0.24 m  j  0.32 m k
F  F  200 N 
0.5 m
  
 120 N  i  96 N  j  128 N k

  
i j k

M A  0.3 0 0.08
 120 96  128

   
     
M A   7.68 N  m i  28.8 N  m j  28.8 N  m k

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