DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

ZZ1001D Engineering Mechanics

Vector Algebra
1. A rectangular plate is supported by three cables as shown in Fig. 1. If the tension in the cable AD is 540
N, determine the weight of the plate.

Figure 2
Figure 1

2. If the coordinates of vertex E of the inclined pyramid are (5, 50, 80) m, what is the angle between
outward normal to faces ADE and BCE (Fig. 2)?

Figure 3

Figure 4

3. Using the scalar triple product, find the area projected onto the plane N from the surface ABC. Plane N is
infinite and normal to the vector r = 50i + 40j + 30k ft (Fig. 3).

Moment and Couple

Figure 5

Figure 6
5. Find the moment of the 1000-lb force about an axis going between points D and C shown in Fig. 5.
6. The frame ACD is hinged at A and D and is supported by a cable that passes through a ring at B and is
attached to hooks at G and H (Fig. 6). Knowing that the tension in the cable is 1125 N, determine the
moment about the diagonal AD of the force exerted on the frame by portion BG of the cable.
7. What is the moment about A of the 500 N force and the 3000 N-m couple acting on the cantilever beam
as shown in Fig. 7?

8. For the system of forces shown in Fig. 8, what is the torque about axis AB? The 100 N and 50 N forces
are in xz plane and are perpendicular to line AC.

Figure 7 Figure 8

9. A small blimp is temporarily moored as shown in the diagram wherein DC and the centerline of AB are
coplanar (Fig. 9). A force F from wind, weight and buoyancy is shown acting at the centerline of the
blimp. If
𝑭 = 5𝒊 + 10𝒋 + 18𝒌 kN
what are the moment vector from F about A, B, and C?

10. Compute the thrust of the applied forces shown in Fig. 10 along the axis of the shaft and the torque of
the forces about the axis of the shaft.

Figure 9 Figure 10

Equivalent Force Systems

12. Replace the force system acting on the post by a resultant force and couple moment at point A (Fig. 12).
 Figure 11 Figure 12

13. Replace the force and couple moment system acting on the overhang beam by a resultant force, and
specify its location along AB measured from point A.

14. Determine the magnitudes of FA and FB so that the resultant force passes through point O of the column
shown in Fig. 14.

Figure 13

Figure 14

15. Find the resultant of the force system at point A (Fig. 15). The 300-N, 200-N, and 900-N loads are at the
centers of the pipe sections.

16. Find the simplest resultant for the forces shown in Fig. 16. Give the location of this resultant clearly.

Figure 16
Figure 15

17. What is the simplest resultant of the loadings shown in Fig. 17? Be sure to give its line of action.
18. A machine component is subjected to the forces and couples shown in Fig. 4. The component is to be
held in place by a single rivet that can resist a force but not a couple. For P = 0, determine the location of
the rivet hole if it is to be located (a) on line FG, (b) on line GH.

Figure 17
Figure 18
Wrench
19. Replace the five forces acting on the plate shown in Fig. 19, by a wrench. Specify the magnitude of the
force and couple moment for the wrench and the point P(x, z) where the wrench intersects the xz-plane.
20. Two forces of equal magnitude 100 N act on a cube of side 5 m as shown in Fig. 20. Replace the two
forces by an equivalent wrench and determine (i) the magnitude and direction of the resultant force, (ii) the
point where the axis of the wrench intersects the yz plane.

Figure 19 Figure 20

21. In tightening a bolt whose center is at point O, a person exerts a 40 N force on the ratchet handle with
his right hand. In addition, with his left hand he exerts a 20 N force as shown in Fig. 21, in order to secure
the socket onto the bolt head. Determine the equivalent force couple system at O. Then find the point in
the xy-plane through which the line of action of the resultant force of the wrench passes.

Figure 21
Figure 22
22. Replace the three forces shown in Fig. 22, acting on the plate by a wrench. Specify the magnitude of
the force and couple moment for the wrench and the point P(x,y) where its line of action intersects the
plate.
23. The beam AB shown in Fig. 23 is 3m long and has a weight of 1.5 kN per metre of its length. It is
subjected to a distributed force field given by q= 500 x2 N/m where x is the distance measured from the
end A so that the intensity of load at the end B is 4.5 kN/m as shown. Determine the simplest resultant of
the weight and force distributions in the beam.

Distributed Force Systems

Figure 23 Figure 24

25. The pressure po at the corner O of the rectangular plate shown in Fig. 25 is 75 Pa and increases linearly
in the y-direction by 10 Pa/m. In the x-direction, it increases parabolically starting with zero slope so that
in 30 m the pressure has changed from 75 Pa to 750 Pa. Determine the simplest resultant pressure force for
this distribution on the plate. Give the coordinates of the centre of pressure, relative to O.
26. At what height h (Fig. 26) will the water cause the door to rotate clockwise? The door is 3 m wide.
Neglect friction and the weight of the door.

Figure 25
Figure 26

27. Locate the centroid of the shaded area shown in Fig. 27.

Figure 27 Figure 28

28. Calculate the distance hc measured from the base to the centroid of the volume of the frustum of the
right-circular cone shown in Fig. 28.