Engineering Mechanics

Module 1
Syllabus:
1.1 System of Coplanar forces: resultant of concurrent forces, parallel forces,
non-concurrent non parallel system of forces, moment of force about a point,
couples, Varignon’s theorem, Principle of transmissibility of forces
1.2 Resultant of forces in Space--- (Refer class ppt and worksheet 2)
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CHARACTERISTICS OF A FORCE
In order to determine the effects of a force, acting on a body, we must know the
following
1. Magnitude of the force (i.e., 100 N, 50 N, 20 kN, 5 kN, etc.)
2. The direction of the line, along which the force acts (i.e., along OX, OY, at
30° North or East etc.). It is also known as line of action of the force.
3. Nature of the force (i.e., whether the force is push or pull). This is denoted by
placing an arrow head on the line of action of the force.
4. The point at which (or through which) the force acts on the body.
PRINCIPLE OF TRANSMISSIBILITY OF FORCES
It states, “If a force acts at any point on a †rigid body, it may also be considered
to act at any other point on its line of action, provided this point is rigidly
connected with the body.”
SYSTEM OF FORCES
When two or more forces act on a body, they are called to form a system of
forces. Following systems of forces are important from the subject point of view
1. Coplanar forces. The forces, whose lines of action lie on the same plane, are
known as coplanar forces.
2. Collinear forces. The forces, whose lines of action lie on the same line, are
known as collinear forces.
3. Concurrent forces. The forces, which meet at one point, are known as
concurrent forces.The concurrent forces may or may not be collinear.
4. Coplanar concurrent forces. The forces, which meet at one point and their
lines of action also lie on the same plane, are known as coplanar concurrent
forces.
5. Coplanar non-concurrent forces. The forces, which do not meet at one point,
but their lines of action lie on the same plane, are known as coplanar non-
concurrent forces.
6. Non-coplanar concurrent forces. The forces, which meet at one point, but
their lines of action do not lie on the same plane, are known as non-coplanar
concurrent forces.
7. Non-coplanar non-concurrent forces. The forces, which do not meet at one
point and their lines of action do not lie on the same plane, are called non-
coplanar non-concurrent forces.
RESULTANT FORCE
If a number of forces, P, Q, R ... etc. are acting simultaneously on a particle,
then it is possible to find out a single force which could replace them i.e., which
would produce the same effect as produced by all the given forces. This single
force is called resultant force and the given forces R ...etc. are called component
forces.
COMPOSITION OF FORCES
The process of finding out the resultant force, of a number of given forces, is
called composition of forces or compounding of forces.
METHODS FOR THE RESULTANT FORCE
Though there are many methods for finding out the resultant force
1. Analytical method. 2. Method of resolution.
ANALYTICAL METHOD FOR RESULTANT FORCE
The resultant force, of a given system of forces, may be found out analytically
by the following
1. Parallelogram law of forces. 2. Method of resolution.
PARALLELOGRAM LAW OF FORCES
It states, “If two forces, acting simultaneously on a particle, be represented in
magnitude and direction by the two adjacent sides of a parallelogram ; their
resultant may be represented in magnitude and direction by the diagonal of the
parallelogram, which passes through their point of intersection.”
Note

RESOLUTION OF A FORCE
The process of splitting up the given force into a number of components,
without changing its effect on the body is called resolution of a force. A force
is, generally, resolved along two mutually perpendicular directions. In fact, the
resolution of a force is the reverse action of the addition of the component
vectors.
PRINCIPLE OF RESOLUTION
It states, “The algebraic sum of the resolved parts of a no. of forces, in a given
direction, is equal to the resolved part of their resultant in the same direction.”
In general, the forces are resolved in the vertical and horizontal directions.
Q. A machine component 1.5 m long and weight 1000 N is supported by two ropes AB and
CD as shown in figure. Calculate the tensions T1 and T2 in the ropes AB and CD.

Given: Weight of the component = 1000 N Resolving the forces horizontally (i.e., along BC) and
equating the same,

METHOD OF RESOLUTION FOR THE RESULTANT FORCE

1. Resolve all the forces horizontally and find the algebraic sum of all the
horizontal components (i.e., ∑H).
2. Resolve all the forces vertically and find the algebraic sum of all the
vertical components (i.e., ∑V).
3. The resultant R of the given forces will be given by the equation:

4. The resultant force will be inclined at an angle θ, with the horizontal,

such that

Q. A system of forces are acting at the corners of a rectangular block as shown

in figure. Determine the magnitude and direction of the resultant force.
Q. The forces 20 N, 30 N, 40 N, 50 N and 60 N are acting at one of the angular
points of a regular hexagon, towards the other five angular points, taken in
order. Find the magnitude and direction of the resultant force.
Q. A horizontal line PQRS is 12 m long, where PQ = QR = RS = 4 m. Forces of 1000 N,
1500 N, 1000 N and 500 N act at P, Q, R and S respectively with downward direction. The
lines of action of these forces make angles of 90°, 60°, 45° and 30° respectively with PS.
Find the magnitude, direction and position of the resultant force.
Since both the values of ΣH and ΣV are +ve. therefore resultant lies between 0° and 90°.
Position of the resultant force

LAWS FOR THE RESULTANT FORCE

The resultant force, of a given system of forces, may also be found out by the following laws
1. Triangle law of forces. 2. Polygon law of forces.
TRIANGLE LAW OF FORCES
It states, “If two forces acting simultaneously on a particle, be represented in magnitude and
direction by the two sides of a triangle, taken in order; their resultant may be represented in
magnitude and direction by the third side of the triangle, taken in opposite order.”
POLYGON LAW OF FORCES
It is an extension of Triangle Law of Forces for more than two forces, which states, “If a
number of forces acting simultaneously on a particle, be represented in magnitude and
direction, by the sides of a polygon taken in order; then the resultant of all these forces may
be represented, in magnitude and direction, by the closing side of the polygon, taken in
opposite order.”
GRAPHICAL (VECTOR) METHOD FOR THE RESULTANT FORCE
It is another name for finding out the magnitude and direction of the resultant force by the
polygon law of forces.
1. Construction of space diagram (position diagram). It means the construction of a
diagram showing the various forces (or loads) along with their magnitude and lines of
action.
2. Use of Bow’s notations. All the forces in the space diagram are named by using the
Bow’s notations. It is a convenient method in which every force (or load) is named by
two capital letters, placed on its either side in the space diagram.
3. Construction of vector diagram (force diagram). It means the construction of a
diagram starting from a convenient point and then go on adding all the forces
vectorially one by one (keeping in view the directions of the forces) to some suitable
scale.
4. Now the closing side of the polygon, taken in opposite order, will give the magnitude
of the resultant force (to the scale) and its direction.
Q. A particle is acted upon by three forces equal to 50 N, 100 N and 130 N, along the three
sides of an equilateral triangle, taken in order. Find graphically the magnitude and direction
of the resultant force.
MOMENT OF A FORCE
It is the turning effect produced by a force, on the body, on which it acts. The moment of a
force is equal to the product of the force and the perpendicular distance of the point, about
which the moment is required and the line of action of the force.

Graphical Representation of Moment

Units of Moment
N-m, kN-m, N-mm
TYPES OF MOMENTS
1. Clockwise moments. 2. Anticlockwise moments.
VARIGNON’S PRINCIPLE OF MOMENTS (OR LAW OF MOMENTS)
It states, “If a number of coplanar forces are acting simultaneously on a particle, the algebraic
sum of the moments of all the forces about any point is equal to the moment of their resultant
force about the same point.”
APPLICATIONS OF MOMENTS
Though the moments have a number of applications, in the field of Engineering science, yet
the following are important from the subject point of view:
1. Position of the resultant force 2. Levers.
POSITION OF THE RESULTANT FORCE BY MOMENTS
It is also known as analytical method for the resultant force. The position of a resultant force
may be found out by moments as discussed below:
1. First of all, find out the magnitude and direction of the resultant force by the method of
resolution as discussed earlier in chapter ‘Composition and Resolution of Forces’.
2. Now equate the moment of the resultant force with the algebraic sum of moments of the
given system of forces about any point. This may also be found out by equating the sum of
clockwise moments and that of the anticlockwise moments about the point, through which the
resultant force will pass.

Q. A uniform beam AB of weight 100 N and 6 m long had two bodies of weights 60 N and
80 N suspended from its two ends.
COUPLE
A pair of two equal and unlike parallel forces (i.e. forces equal in magnitude, with lines of
action parallel to each other and acting in opposite directions) is known as a couple.
ARM OF A COUPLE
The perpendicular distance between the lines of action of the two equal and opposite parallel
forces, is known as arm of the couple

MOMENT OF A COUPLE

Classifications of Couple

Clockwise Couple-A couple whose tendency is to rotate a body, on which it acts, in a

clockwise direction is known as a clockwise couple.

Anticlockwise Couple-A couple, whose tendency is to rotate the body, on which it acts, in an
anticlockwise direction, is known as an anticlockwise couple.
Characteristics of Couple