MAIN CONTENT

Review of Equilibrium of Coplanar

Force Systems (Concurrent and
Non concurrent)
 Concurrent Forces in a Plane
Concurrent Forces in a Plane - the forces intersect at a
common point on a plane. Example: cables connected to a
utility post; all member forces and loads acting on a truss joint
Graphical Determination of Resultant of
Concurrent Forces (Parallelogram & Triangular or tip-to-tail
method)
Resultant – single force that produces the same
external effect on a body as the original force system.
Graphical Determination of the Resultant of Concurrent
Forces (by Polygon of Forces) / Given 3 or more forces
*If several concurrent forces in a plane are known to be
in equilibrium, their free vectors must build a closed
polygon of forces.
In the space diagram, position and direction, but not
the magnitude of the forces must be plotted accurately
(using protractor).
In the force polygon, both the magnitude and direction
of the forces, and not the position, are represented.
(using scale and 2 triangles)
• These 4 forces, each w/
given magnitude, are in
equilibrium if the plotted
force polygon is close.
Determination of the resultant or equilibrant of
concurrent forces (by resolving each given force into
its rectangular components )
In the analysis, use the 2 equations of equilibrium, the
Pythagorean Theorem and the trigonometric functions.
Use + and – sign depending on the quadrant location or
direction of forces.
Sample Problem/ Solution:
Find the resultant (and its location) of the concurrent force
system (three given forces) shown in the figure (next slide) by
method of rectangular components.
Solution:
a. Resolve each force into its rectangular components
using the trigonometric functions, sine and cosine; b.
Use equations of equilibrium to get the summation of
the x and y components. + and – sign of each result
must be based on its direction; c. Resultant of x and y
components are determined by using the Pythagorean
formula; d. Plot the x and y components showing the
quadrant location based on the resulting sign; e.
Determine the direction of the resultant or the angle
(preferably, from the x-axis)by using the tangent
function. (refer to the next 2 slides for the computations)
Sample Problem/ Computation:
Note: x components are positive (+) if they
act to the right and negative (-) if to the left
and y components are (+) if they act
upward and (-) if they act downward. From
table of results, the resultant in the x and y
directions are:
Rx = ΣFh = +2.07 kN (+ means that force
is going to the right)
Ry = ΣFv = +6.34 kN (+ means that force
is going upward.)

Answers: (Plotted in the 3nd figure)

Resultant of the forces = 6.67 kN

Location/Direction:
angle theta = 72 deg.fr. the x-axis
(1st quadrant)
Rx and Ry can be solved directly by summation of forces along the x-
axis and y-axis,respectively or solution can be tabulated as shown:
Non-concurrent Forces in a Plane
• Non-concurrent Forces intersect at different points on
a plane. Parallel Forces – special case of non-
concurrent forces.
Example is a beam subjected to gravity loads and resisted by
reactions provided by the supports.

Actual beam FBD of the beam

In the free body diagram (FBD) of the beam, all the forces ( loads
and reactions) represented by arrows are parallel to each other,
therefore non-concurrent.
Determination of the Resultant or the Missing Force
of Parallel Force System
Example 1. Let us determine graphically the reactions at the
supports A & B of the beam AC. Beginning with the load P as
represented by the free vector ab in the 2nd figure and
selecting a pole O, we construct the rays 1 and 2, after which
the corresponding sides ab and bc of the funicular polygon can
be drawn as shown at the left figure. Then the closing side ac
of this polygon determines the direction of corresponding ray 3
in the 2nd figure, and the reactions Rb and Ra are graphically
determined by the vectors bc and ca, respectively.
Example 2. Determine the reactions of the simply-supported beam
loaded transversely as shown below.
 Homework – Refer to the You Tube presentation by CHINMAYACADEMY
using the links below:

Finding graphically the reactions of a

simple beam with vertical loads.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w
1e97PasVdk

Finding graphically the reactions of a

simple beam with inclined load.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISa
9EZ9Saxc

Note:
Use of Bow’s notation is also discussed in
the presentation.