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Statics and
Mechanics of
Materials, Third
Edition
Chapter 2

Statics of Particles

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 Chapter’s Objectives

• Resolve a 2-D vector into components

• Add 2-D vectors using Cartesian vector notations
• Represent a 3-D vector in a Cartesian coordinate system
• Find the magnitude and coordinate angles of a 3-D vector
• Add vectors (forces) in 3-D space
• Represent a position vector in Cartesian coordinate form, from
given geometry
• Represent a force vector directed along a line
• Determine an angle between two vectors
• Determine the projection of a vector along a specified line

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 Class Activities 1

• Review Quiz
• Application
• Introduction
• Forces on a Particle: Resultant of Two Forces
• Vectors
• Addition of Vectors
• Resultant of Several Concurrent Forces
• Sample Problem 2.1
• Sample Problem 2.2
• Rectangular Components of a Force: Unit Vectors

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 Class Activities 2

• Addition of Forces by Summing X and Y Components

• Sample Problem 2.3
• Equilibrium of a Particle
• Free-Body Diagrams and Problem Solving
• Sample Problem 2.4
• Sample Problem 2.6
• Expressing a Vector in 3-D Space
• Sample Problem 2.7

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 Review Quiz
1. Which one of the following is a scalar quantity?
a.Force
b.Position
c.Mass
d.Velocity

2. For vector addition you have to use ______ law.

a.Newton’s Second
b.the arithmetic
c.Pascal’s
d.the parallelogram

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 Application
The tension in the cable supporting this person can be found using
the concepts in this chapter.

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 Introduction 1

The objective for the current chapter is to investigate the effects of

forces on particles:
• Replacing multiple forces acting on a particle with a single
equivalent or resultant force,
• Relations between forces acting on a particle that is in a state of
equilibrium.

There are four concurrent cable

forces acting on the bracket.
How do you determine the resultant
force acting on the bracket ?

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 Introduction 2

• The focus on particles does not imply a restriction to

miniscule bodies.
• The size and shape of the bodies in this Chapter are not
significant to the problem under consideration
• All forces may be assumed to be applied at a single point

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 Resultant of Two Forces 1

• Force: action of one body on another; characterized by its point

of application, magnitude, line of action, and sense.

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 Resultant of Two Forces 2

• Experimental evidence shows that the combined effect of two

forces may be represented by a single resultant force.
• The resultant is equivalent to the diagonal of a parallelogram
which contains the two forces in adjacent legs.
• Force is a vector quantity.

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 Vectors 1

• Vectors: parameters possessing magnitude and direction that add

according to the parallelogram law. Examples: forces,
displacements, velocities, accelerations.

• Scalars: parameters possessing magnitude but not direction.

Examples: mass, volume, temperature.

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 Vectors 2

Vector classifications:
• Fixed or bound vectors have well-defined points of application
that cannot be changed without affecting an analysis.
• Free vectors may be freely moved in space without changing
their effect on an analysis.
• Sliding vectors may be applied anywhere along their line of
action without affecting an analysis.

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 Addition of Vectors 1

• Parallelogram law for vector addition

• Triangle rule for vector addition

• Law of cosines,
R 2  P 2  Q 2  2 PQ cos B
R  PQ

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 Addition of Vectors 2

• Law of sines,
sin A sin B sin C
 
Q R P

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 Addition of Vectors 3

• Vector addition is commutative,

   
PQ  Q P

• Vector subtraction,

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 Resultant of Several Concurrent Forces 1

• Concurrent forces: set of forces that all pass through the same
point.
• A set of concurrent forces applied to a particle may be replaced by
a single resultant force that is the vector sum of the applied forces.

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 Resultant of Several Concurrent Forces 2

• Vector force components: two or more force vectors that, together,

have the same effect as a single force vector.

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 Sample Problem 2.1 1

The two forces act on a bolt at A. Determine their resultant.

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 Sample Problem 2.1 2

STRATEGY:
• Graphical solution - construct a parallelogram with sides in the
same direction as P and Q and lengths in proportion to these
forces. Graphically evaluate the resultant that is equivalent in
direction and proportional in magnitude to the diagonal.
• Trigonometric solution - use the triangle rule for vector addition in
conjunction with the Law of Cosines and Law of Sines to find the
resultant.

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 Sample Problem 2.1 3

MODELING and ANALYSIS:

• Graphical solution - A parallelogram with sides equal to P and Q
is drawn to scale. The magnitude and direction of the resultant
(the diagonal of the parallelogram) are measured,

R  98 N   35

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 Sample Problem 2.1 4

• Graphical solution - A triangle is drawn with P and Q head-to-tail

and to scale. The magnitude and direction of the resultant (the
third side of the triangle) are measured,

R  98 N   35

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 Sample Problem 2.1 5

• Trigonometric solution - Apply the triangle rule. From the Law of

Cosines,

R 2  P 2  Q 2  2 PQ cos B
  40N    60N   2  40N  60N  cos155
2 2

R  97.73N
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 Sample Problem 2.1 6

• From the Law of Sines,

sin A sin B Q 60 N
 ; sin A  sin B  sin155
Q R R 97.73N
A  15.04
  20  A
  35.04 Access the text alternative for slide images.
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 Sample Problem 2.1 7

REFLECT and THINK: An analytical solution using trigonometry

provides for greater accuracy. However, it is helpful to use a
graphical solution as a check.

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 Sample Problem 2.2 1

A barge is pulled by two tugboats. If the resultant of the forces

exerted by the tugboats is a 5000 lb force directed along the axis of
the barge, determine the tension in each of the ropes when   45.
Discuss with a neighbor how you would solve this problem.

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 Sample Problem 2.2 2

STRATEGY:
• Find a graphical solution by applying the Parallelogram Law for
vector addition. The parallelogram has sides in the directions of
the two ropes and a diagonal in the direction of the barge axis and
length proportional to 5000 lb.
• Find a trigonometric solution by applying the Triangle Rule for
vector addition. With the magnitude and direction of the resultant
known and the directions of the other two sides parallel to the
ropes given, apply the Law of Sines to find the rope tensions.

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 Sample Problem 2.2 3

MODELING and ANALYSIS:

• Graphical solution - Parallelogram Law with known resultant
direction and magnitude, and known directions for sides.

T1  3700lb T2  2600lb

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 Sample Problem 2.2 4

MODELING and ANALYSIS:

• Trigonometric solution - Triangle Rule with Law of Sines

T1 T2 5000lb
 
sin45 sin30 sin105
T1  3660lb T2  2590lb

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 What if…? 1

• At what value of  would the tension in rope 2 be a minimum?

• Hint: Use the triangle rule and think about how changing 
changes the magnitude of T2. After considering this, discuss your
ideas with a neighbor.

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 What if…? 2

• The minimum tension in rope 2 occurs when T1 and T2 are

perpendicular.

T2  5000lbsin30 T2  2500lb
T1  5000lbcos30 T1  4330lb
  90  30   60

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 What if…? 3

• REFLECT and THINK: Part (a) is a straightforward application

of resolving a vector into components. The key to part (b) is
recognizing that the minimum value of T2 occurs when T1 and T2
are perpendicular.

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 Rectangular Components of a Force: Unit
Vectors 1

• It’s possible to resolve a force vector into perpendicular

components so that the resulting parallelogram is a rectangle. Fx
and Fy are referred to as rectangular vector components and

  
F  Fx  Fy

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 Rectangular Components of a Force: Unit
Vectors 2

• Define perpendicular unit vectors i and j that are parallel to the x

and y axes:

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 Rectangular Components of a Force: Unit
Vectors 3

• Vector components can be expressed as products of the unit

vectors with the scalar magnitudes of the vector components:
  
F  Fx i  Fy j
• Fx and Fy are referred to as the scalar components of F.

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 Addition of Forces by Summing X and Y
Components 1

• To find the resultant of 3 (or more) concurrent forces,

   
R  PQ S

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 Addition of Forces by Summing X and Y
Components 2

• Resolve each force into rectangular components, then add the

components in each direction:
Rx i  Ry j  Px i  Py j  Qx i  Qy j  S x i  S y j
  Px  Qx  S x  i   Py  Qy  S y  j

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 Addition of Forces by Summing X and Y
Components 3

• The scalar components of the resultant vector are equal to the sum
of the corresponding scalar components of the given forces.
Rx  Px  Qx  S x Ry  Py  Qy  S y
  Fx   Fy

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 Addition of Forces by Summing X and Y
Components 4

• To find the resultant magnitude and direction,

1 Ry
R R x2  R y2   tan
Rx

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 Sample Problem 2.3 1

Four forces act on bolt A as shown. Determine the resultant of the force on the bolt.
STRATEGY:
• Resolve each force into rectangular components.
• Determine the components of the resultant by adding the corresponding force
components in the x and y directions.
• Calculate the magnitude and direction of the resultant.
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 Sample Problem 2.3 2

MODELING:

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 Sample Problem 2.3 3

ANALYSIS:
• Resolve each force into rectangular components.
• Determine the components of the resultant by adding the
corresponding force components.

Force Mag x - Comp y - Comp

F1 150 129.9 75.0
F2 80 27.4 75.2
F3 110 0 110.0
F4 100 96.6 25.9
Rx  199.1 Ry  14.3

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 Sample Problem 2.3 4

• Calculate the magnitude and direction.

R  199.12  14.32 R  199.6N

14.3 N
tan     4.1
199 .1 N

REFLECT and THINK:

Arranging data in a table not only helps you keep track of the
calculations, but also makes things simpler for using a calculator on
similar computations.
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 Equilibrium of a Particle 1

• When the resultant of all forces acting on a particle is zero, the

particle is in equilibrium.
• Newton’s First Law: If the resultant force on a particle is zero, the
particle will remain at rest or will continue at constant speed in a
straight line.

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 Equilibrium of a Particle 2

Particle acted upon by two forces:

• Equal magnitude.
• Same line of action.
• Opposite sense.

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 Equilibrium of a Particle 3

Particle acted upon by three or more forces:

• Graphical solution yields a closed polygon.
• Algebraic solution.

R  F  0

F x 0 F y 0
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 Free-Body Diagrams and Problem Solving 1

Space Diagram: A sketch

showing the physical conditions
of the problem, usually provided
with the problem statement, or
represented by the actual
physical situation.

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 Free-Body Diagrams and Problem Solving 2

Free Body Diagram: A sketch showing only the forces acting on

the selected particle. This must be created by you.

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