Engineering Mechanics:

Statics
Chapter 2: Force Systems

Force Systems

Part A: Two Dimensional Force

Systems

Force

An action of one body on another

Vector quantity

External and Internal forces

Mechanics of Rigid bodies: Principle of Transmissibility

Specify magnitude, direction, line of action

No need to specify point of application

Concurrent forces

Lines of action intersect at a point

Vector Components

A vector can be resolved into several vector components

Vector sum of the components must equal the original

vector

Do not confused vector components with perpendicular

projections

Rectangular Components

v
j

2D force systems

Most common 2D resolution of a force vector

Express in terms of unit vectors
i j ,

y
v
F

v
Fy

v
v v
F Fx Fy Fxi Fyj
v
Fx

v
i

Fx F cos ,

v
F F Fx2 Fy2

tan1

Fy
Fx

Fy F sin
Scalar components can
be positive and negative

2D Force Systems

Rectangular components
are convenient for finding
v
the sum or resultantR of two (or more) forces which
are concurrent
v
v v
R F1 F2 (F1xi F1yj) (F2xi F2yj)
= (F1x F2x )i (F1y F2y )j

Actual problems do not come with reference axes. Choose the most convenient
one!

Example 2.1

The link is subjected to two forces

F1 and F2. Determine the
magnitude and direction of the
resultant force.

Solution
FR

236.8N 2 582.8N 2

629 N

tan1 582.8N
236.8N
67.9o

Example 2/1 (p. 29)

Determine the x and y scalar components of each of the three force

Rectangular components

v
j

Unit vectors

nv

y
v
n

y
x

v
Vx

v
v V Vxi Vyj
n v

v
V
V

v
V

v
Vy

v
= Unit vector in direction of

v
i

Vy
Vx
v i v j
V
V

cos xi cos yj
Vx
v cos x direction cosine
V
cos x2 cos y2 1

Problem 2/4
The line of action of the 34-kN force runs through the points A
and B as shown in the figure.
(a) Determine the x and y scalar component of F.
(b) Write F in vector form.

Moment

In addition to tendency to move a body

in the direction of its application, a force
tends to rotate a body about an axis.
The axis is any line which neither
intersects nor is parallel to the line of
action
This rotational tendency is known as
the moment M of the force
Proportional to force F and the
perpendicular distance from the axis
to the line of action of the force d
The magnitude of M is

M = Fd

Moment

The moment is a vector M perpendicular

to the plane of the body.
Sense of M is determined by the righthand rule
Direction of the thumb = arrowhead
Fingers curled in the direction of the
rotational tendency

In a given plane (2D),we may speak of

moment about a point which means
moment with respect to an axis normal to
the plane and passing through the point.

+, - signs are used for moment directions

must be consistent throughout the
problem!

Moment

A vector approach for moment

calculations is proper for 3D problems.
Moment of F about point A maybe
represented by the cross-product

M=rx
F

where r = a position vector from point A

to any point on the line of action of F

M = Fr sin =
Fd

Example 2/5 (p. 40)

Calculate the magnitude of the moment
about the base point O of the 600-N
force by using both scalar and vector
approaches.

Problem 2/43
(a) Calculate the moment of the 90-N force
about point O for the condition = 15.
(b) Determine the value of for which the
moment about O is (b.1) zero (b.2) a
maximum

Couple

Moment produced by two equal, opposite,

and noncollinear forces = couple

M = F(a+d) Fa = Fd

Moment of a couple has the same value

for all moment center

Vector approach

M = rA x F + rB x (-F) = (rA - rB) x F

=rxF

Couple M is a free vector

Couple

Equivalent couples
Change of values F and d
Force in different directions but parallel plane
Product Fd remains the same

Force-Couple Systems

Replacement of a force by a force and a couple

Force F is replaced by a parallel force F and a
counterclockwise couple Fd

Example Replace the force by an equivalent system at point

O
of

Also, reverse the problem by the replacement

a force and a couple by a single force

Problem 2/67
The wrench is subjected to the 200-N force and
the force P as shown. If the equivalent of the
two forces is a for R at O and a couple
expressed as the vector M = 20 kN.m,
determine the vector expressions for P and R

Resultants

The simplest force combination which can

replace the original forces without
changing the external effect on the rigid
body

Resultant = a force-couple system

v v v v
v
R F1 F2 F3 K F
Rx Fx , Ry Fy , R (Fx)2 (Fy )2
-1 Ry

= tan

Rx

Resultants

Choose a reference point (point O) and

move all forces to that point

Add all forces at O to form the resultant

force R and add all moment to form the
resultant couple MO

Find the line of action of R by requiring R

to have a moment of MO

v
v
R F
MO M (Fd)
Rd = MO

Problem 2/79
Replace the three forces acting on the bent pipe
by a single equivalent force R. Specify the
distance x from point O to the point on the xaxis through which the line of action of R
passes.

Force Systems

Part B: Three Dimensional Force

Systems

Three-Dimensional Force
System

Rectangular components in 3D

Express in terms of unit vectorsi

j , k
,

F Fxi Fyj Fzk

Fx F cos x ,

Fy F cos y , Fz F cos z

F Fx2 Fy 2 Fz2

cosx, cosy , cosz are the direction cosines

v = m, cos = n
cosx = l, cos
)
F yF(li mj z nk

Three-Dimensional Force
System

Rectangular components in 3D

If the coordinates of points A and B on the

line of action are known,

v

v
v
(x2 x1)i (y2 y1)j (z2 z1)k
AB
F FnF F
F
AB
(x2 x1)2 (y2 y1)2 (z2 z1)2

If two angles and which orient the line of

action of the force are known,

Fxy F cos ,

Fz F sin

Fx F cos cos ,

Fy Fcos sin

Problem 2/98

The cable exerts a tension of 2 kN on the fixed bracket at

A. Write the vector expression for the tension T.

Three-Dimensional Force
System

Dot product

v v
P Q PQ cos

Orthogonal projection of Fcos of F in the direction of Q

Orthogonal projection of Qcos of Q in the direction of F

v v
We can express Fx = Fcosx of the force F as FxF=i
v v
If the projection of F in the n-direction isF n

Example

Find the projection of T along the line OA

Moment and Couple

Moment of force F about the axis through point O is

MO = r x
F

r runs from O to any point on the line of action of F

Point O and force F establish a plane A
The vector Mo is normal to the plane in the direction
established by the right-hand rule

Evaluating the cross product

i
MO rx

j
ry

k
rz

Fx Fy

Fz

Moment and Couple

Moment about an arbitrary axis

v
v v vv
M (r F n)n

known as triple scalar product (see appendix C/7)

The triple scalar product may be represented by the

determinant

rx

v
M M Fx
l

ry

rz

Fy

Fz

m n

where l, m, n are the direction cosines of the unit vector

n

Sample Problem 2/10

A tension T of magniture 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 Mz of T about the zaxis passing through the base O.

Resultants

A force system can be reduced to a resultant force and a

resultant couple

v v v v
v
R F1 F2 F3 L F
v v v
v
v v
M M1 M2 M3 L (r F)

Wrench Resultants

Any general force systems can be represented by a wrench

Problem 2/143

Replace the two forces and single couple by an equivalent

force-couple system at point A
Determine the wrench resultant and the coordinate in the xy
plane through which the resultant force of the wrench acts

Resultants

Special cases
Concurrent forces no moments about point of
concurrency
Coplanar forces 2D
Parallel forces (not in the same plane) magnitude of
resultant = algebraic sum of the forces
Wrench resultant resultant couple M is parallel to the
resultant force R
Example of positive wrench = screw driver

Problem 2/142

Replace the resultant of the force system acting on the pipe

assembly by a single force R at A and a couple M
Determine the wrench resultant and the coordinate in the xy
plane through which the resultant force of the wrench acts