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Equilibrium of Concurrent Forces in A Plane

Three or more concurrent forces acting on a body can be analyzed using graphical methods like force triangles or force polygons to determine the magnitudes and directions of the forces needed for equilibrium. For three forces, a force triangle is constructed where the sides represent the forces and their directions. For four or more forces, a closed force polygon is drawn tip to tail. The rectangular component method can also be used, where each force is resolved into perpendicular x and y components, and the sums of the x and y components are set to zero.

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89 views13 pages

Equilibrium of Concurrent Forces in A Plane

Three or more concurrent forces acting on a body can be analyzed using graphical methods like force triangles or force polygons to determine the magnitudes and directions of the forces needed for equilibrium. For three forces, a force triangle is constructed where the sides represent the forces and their directions. For four or more forces, a closed force polygon is drawn tip to tail. The rectangular component method can also be used, where each force is resolved into perpendicular x and y components, and the sums of the x and y components are set to zero.

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wajju007
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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ETG Statics – Fall 2022

Module 3.2

Equilibrium of Concurrent
Forces in a Plane:

THREE & MORE CONCURRENT


FORCES IN EQUILIBRIUM
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Dr. Mohamed Khalafalla Ahmed
THREE CONCURRENT FORCES IN EQUILIBRIUM

• When a body is in equilibrium under the action of three concurrent forces,


the problem can be solved by drawing a freebody diagram of the point
through which all three forces pass & constructing a force triangle.

• The completed force triangle should satisfy the conditions defined by our
rule for vector addition:

Only true if the vector addition begins and ends at the same
point—the force triangle must form a closed figure.
Example 3.6
A crate weighing 6000 N is suspended from two cables as shown in Fig. (a).

• a. Draw a free-body diagram of point B.


• b. Construct a force triangle that satisfies the conditions for equilibrium of point B.
• c. Use your force triangle to find the tensions required in cables AB and BC.

Solution
a. The appropriate free-body diagram is shown in Fig. (b). Note that FAB and FBC are assumed to be
in the directions shown; their actual directions will be verified by the force triangle of part (b).
b. We begin our force triangle by drawing the known weight of 6000 N in a downward direction. Through one end of
this vector, we construct a line that is in the same direction as FAB, extending the line indefinitely in both directions.
Through the other end of our known vector, we draw a line in the same direction as FBC, extending this line
indefinitely in both directions. These constructions are shown in Fig. 12(a). Note that our weight vector and the two
drawn lines form a closed figure, thus ensuring a zero resultant. By drawing arrowheads in the required tail-to-tip
fashion of Fig. 12(b), we can verify that the directions of FAB (upward to the left) and FBC (upward to the right) agree
with the directions assumed on our free-body diagram. As shown in Fig. 13(a) and (b), these same results would have
been obtained if the lines parallel to FAB and FBC had been drawn at opposite ends of the weight vector.

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Example
The three forces acting at A in Fig. 3.20(a) are in equilibrium. The magnitude and
direction of F1 and F2 are known. Determine F3.

Mathematical Method: A force triangle is constructe


in Fig.(c). Angle B = 90° +20° =110°

Graphical Method: Select the scale. Draw F1 from A


to B and F2 from B to C. Force F3 must be represented
by a vector drawn from C to A Fig.(b). Measuring the
magnitude and direction of F3, we have

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FOUR OR MORE FORCES IN EQUILIBRIUM

• When a body is in equilibrium under the action


of four or more concurrent forces, a problem
may be solved graphically by drawing the force
polygon.
– If no more than two unknowns
(magnitude and/or direction).

This 650-ft television tower is held in place by


three sets of guy wires located in vertical planes
around the tower. Each four-wire set is attached
to a concrete pier
FOUR OR MORE FORCES IN EQUILIBRIUM
The resultant of these four concurrent, coplanar guy wire
forces is upward, to the right, and must be counteracted
by a combination of forces exerted by the ground on the
pier.
FOUR OR MORE FORCES IN EQUILIBRIUM

• The four forces, acting at point B,


are in equilibrium.
• The magnitude and direction of F1
and F2 are known.
• The magnitude of F4 is known, and
the direction of F3 is known.

Find the direction of F4 and


magnitude of F3 by constructing a
force polygon.
FOUR OR MORE FORCES IN EQUILIBRIUM

In tip-to-tail fashion, draw forces F1


and F2 from B to C and C to D.

Through point D, draw a line parallel


to the direction of F3 , and around
point B draw an arc of radius r = F1 =
70lb.

The arc and line intersect at point E.


Force F3 acts from D to E, and force F4
acts from E to B.

Measuring obtains F3 = 52lb and =


70°
EQUILIBRIUM BY RECTANGULAR
COMPONENT METHOD

• In the rectangular component method, each force is replaced by its x


and y components.
• The resultant in the x direction, obtained by adding the x components
of the forces, must add to zero.
• The resultant in the y direction, obtained by adding the y components
of the forces, must also add to zero
Example 3.12
The three forces in Fig. 3.25(a) are in equilibrium. Determine F1 and F3 by the method of
rectangular components.

Substituting the value of F3 from Eq. (c) in


terms of F1 in Eq. (b), we have
Example 3.13
The four forces shown in Fig. below are in equilibrium. Determine F3 and F4 by the
method of rectangular components.

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