Lesson No.

2:
Force System
In this topic, it is expected that students should learn how to :

1. Study the effects of forces acting on a particle or a body.

2. Replace two or more forces acting on a given particle or a body by a single force called resultant
and have the same effect as the original forces on the body.
3. Get moment and locate the exact location of single resultant equivalent to the several forces
acting on a body.

FORCE
A force has been defined as the action of one body on another and is characterized by its:

a. Magnitude P
b. Direction 𝜃
c. Point of application

The action of a force on a body can be separated into two groups:

a. External Forces. Represents the action of other bodies on the rigid body under consideration.
They are responsible for the external behavior of the body. Forces external to a body are of two
kinds : applied forces and reactive forces.
b. Internal Forces. Represent the forces which hold together the particle forming the rigid body.

Forces are classified as either contact or body forces:

• Contact forces are generated through direct physical contact between two bodies.
• Body forces are those applied by remote action, such as gravitational and magnetic forces.

Forces may be either concentrated or distributed:

• Concentrated Force is applied at a very small distance or a point only.

• Distributed Load is applied over a finite area.
The weight of a body is the force of gravitational attraction distributed over its volume and may
be taken as a concentrated force acting through the center of gravity.

Addition of Forces
• Two forces F1 and F2 that are concurrent may be added by the Parallelogram Law in their
common plane to obtain their sum or resultant R as shown.
R = F1 + F2 R

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 • If two concurrent forces lie in the same plane but are applied @ two different points as
shown, by the Principle of Transmissibility we may move them along their line of action and
draw a parallelogram @ their point of concurrency at point A.

• The Triangle Law may also be used to obtain the resultant of two forces or vectors. The sum of
the two forces can be found by arranging P and Q in tip-to-tail fashion and then connecting the
tail of Q to the tip P, then connect the tail and tip of the first and last vector and that is the
resultant.
Q

P R=P+Q

Subtraction of Forces

• The difference of two forces is defined as the addition of the corresponding negative
(opposite) of the second vector or force.
P – Q = P + -Q , -Q

P + -Q

Addition of Several Forces

• We could also add several concurrent forces, by using the Polygon Rule or Triangular
Rule ( tip-to-tail method of adding vectors).

Q Q S

P P P+Q

P+Q+S

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2.1 Two Dimensional Force System

Rectangular Components

The most common two dimensional resolution of a force vector is into rectangular components. It
follows the Parallelogram rule that the vector F may be written as

F = Fx + Fy , where Fx and Fy are vector components of F.

𝐹𝑥 𝐹𝑦
Cos 𝜃 = → Fx = F cos 𝜃, tan 𝜃 =
𝐹 𝐹𝑥

𝐹𝑦
𝐹𝑦 F sin 𝜃 = → Fy = F sin 𝜃 , F 2 = Fx2 + Fy2
𝐹

𝜃 𝐹𝑥 F = √𝐹𝑥 2 + 𝐹𝑦 2

Sample Problems:

1. A force of 800 N is exerted on a bolt A as shown. Determine the horizontal and vertical
components of the force.

F = 800 N

35° A

2. A force with rectangular components: F x = +700 lb and Fy = +1500 lb is applied to a bolt A.

Determine the magnitude of the force and the angle 𝜃 it forms with the horizontal.

Fy = 1500 lb F

𝜃
A Fx = 700 lb

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Addition of Forces by Summing Rectangular X and Y Components

Rx = ∑ Fx Ry = ∑ Fy R = √𝑅𝑥 2 + 𝑅𝑦 2 direction: tan𝜃 = Ry / Rx

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Moment

In addition to the tendency to move a body in the direction of its application, a force may also tend
to rotate a body about an axis. The axis may be any line which neither intersects nor is parallel to the
line of action of the force. This rotational tendency is known as the moment m of the force. Moment is
also referred to as torque .

The moment of F about A: MA = Fd

The moment of F about pt.A may be represented by the cross product expression:

M = r x F , where r is a position vector which runs from the moment reference point A to any point
on the line of action of F.

M = F r sin 𝛼 = F d . Note that the moment arm d = r sin 𝛼 .

Varignon’s Theorem

One of the most useful principles of mechanics is Varignon’s theorem, which states that the moment
of force about any point is equal to the sum of the moments of the rectangular components of the force

about the same point.

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Couple.

The moment produced by two equal and opposite non collinear forces is called a couple. The
combined moment of the two forces about an axis normal to their plane and passing through any point
such as O in their plane is the couple M. It has a magnitude:

𝑀𝑜 = 𝐹(𝑎 + 𝑑) − 𝐹𝑎 = 𝐹𝑑 in counterclockwise.

Resolution of a force into a force and a couple @ another point.

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Resultants

The resultants of a system of forces is the simplest force combination that can replace the original
forces without altering the external effect of the system on the rigid body to which the forces are
applied. The resultant of several forces :
𝑅𝑦
𝑅 2 = 𝑅𝑥2 + 𝑅𝑦2 where: 𝑅𝑥 = ∑ 𝐹𝑥 𝑅𝑦 = ∑ 𝐹𝑦 tan 𝜃 =
𝑅𝑥

Choose a point o, then move all forces @ point o. All forces @ o are added to form the resultant
force 𝑅 = ∑ 𝐹, and all couples are added to get the resultant couple 𝑀𝑜 = ∑(𝐹𝑑). See the figure
below.

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Sample Problem:

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2.2 Three Dimensional Force System

Rectangular Components

From the diagram shown:

𝐹𝑦 = 𝐹cos𝜃𝑦 , 𝐹ℎ = 𝐹 sin 𝜃𝑦

𝐹𝑥 = 𝐹ℎ cos∅ , 𝐹𝑧 = 𝐹ℎ sin∅

So, 𝐹𝑥 = 𝐹 sin𝜃𝑦 cos∅

𝐹𝑧 = 𝐹 sin𝜃𝑦 sin∅

𝐹 2 = 𝐹𝑦2 + 𝐹ℎ2 but 𝐹ℎ2 = 𝐹𝑥2 + 𝐹𝑧2

Therefore 𝐹 2 = 𝐹𝑥2 + 𝐹𝑦2 + 𝐹𝑧2

If we introduce the direction cosines of F which are cos𝜃 x , cos𝜃 y and

Cos 𝜃 z , then we may write the rectangular components:

𝐹𝑥 = 𝐹cos𝜃 x , 𝐹𝑦 = 𝐹cos𝜃 y , 𝐹𝑧 = 𝐹 cos𝜃 z

F = √𝐹𝑥 2 + 𝐹𝑦 2 + 𝐹𝑧2

Please refer to the diagram on the right side.

Force Defined by its Magnitude and two Points on its Line of Action

𝐹𝑥 𝐹𝑦 𝐹𝑧
Cos 𝜃 x = , cos 𝜃 y = , cos𝜃 z =
𝐹 𝐹 𝐹

𝐹𝑥 = 𝐹 cos𝜃 x , 𝐹𝑦 = 𝐹 cos𝜃 y , 𝐹𝑧 = 𝐹 cos𝜃 Z

𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑧
And also: cos 𝜃 x = , cos𝜃 y = , cos𝜃 z =
𝑑 𝑑 𝑑

𝐹𝑥 𝐹𝑦 𝐹𝑧 𝐹
Therefore: = = =
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑧 𝑑

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Sample Problem:

1. A force of 500 N forms an angles of 60° , 45° , 𝑎𝑛𝑑 120° ,respectively , with the 𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑧 axes. Find
the components 𝐹𝑥 , 𝐹𝑦 , 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐹𝑧 of the force.

Solutions: 𝐹 = 500 N, 𝜃𝑥 = 60°, 𝜃𝑦 = 45°, 𝜃𝑧 = 120° substituting to the formulas ;

𝐹𝑥 = 𝐹𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜃𝑥 = 500 cos 60° = +250 𝑁

𝐹𝑦 = 𝐹𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜃𝑦 = 500 cos 45° = = 354 𝑁

𝐹𝑧 = 𝐹𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜃𝑧 = 500 cos 120° = −250 𝑁

2. A force F has the components 𝐹𝑥 = 20 𝑁, 𝐹𝑦 = −30 𝑁, 𝐹𝑧 = 60 𝑁. Determine its magnitude 𝐹 and

the angles 𝜃𝑥 , 𝜃𝑦 , 𝜃𝑧 it forms with the coordinate aaxes.

Solutions:

𝐹 = √202 + −302 + 602 = 70 N

𝐹𝑥 20 𝐹𝑦 −30 𝐹𝑧 60
cos 𝜃𝑥 = = cos 𝜃𝑦 = = cos 𝜃𝑧 = =
𝐹 70 𝐹 70 𝐹 70

𝜃𝑥 = 73.4° 𝜃𝑦 = 115.4° 𝜃𝑍 = 31°

• Addition of Concurrent Forces in Space

The resultant of two or more forces in space will be determined by summing their rectangular
components:

R=∑F , R2 = Rx2 + Ry2 + Rz2

𝑅𝑥 = ∑ 𝐹𝑥

𝑅𝑦 = ∑ 𝐹𝑦

𝑅𝑧 = ∑ 𝐹𝑧

The magnitude of the resultant and the angles 𝜃𝑥 , 𝜃𝑦 , 𝜃𝑧 that the resultant forms with the coordinate
axes are obtained:

R = √𝑅𝑥 2 + 𝑅𝑦 2 + 𝑅𝑧2

𝑅𝑥 𝑅𝑦 𝑅𝑧
cos 𝜃𝑥 = cos 𝜃𝑦 = cos 𝜃𝑧 =
𝑅 𝑅 𝑅

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 Moment and Couple

The moments of the rectangular components F about the positive X, Y, And Z-axes through point O.

𝑀𝑥 = 𝑟𝑦 𝐹𝑧 − 𝑟𝑧 𝐹𝑦 𝑀𝑦 = 𝑟𝑧 𝐹𝑥 − 𝑟𝑥 𝐹𝑧 𝑀𝑧 = 𝑟𝑥 𝐹𝑦 − 𝑟𝑦 𝐹𝑥

The moment of a couple 𝑀 = 𝐹𝑑, where d is the perpendicular distance between the line of action
of the two forces.

Sample Problems:

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