MOMENTS QUESTIONS

QUESTION

i. Define a moment of a force paying particular attention to how it can be calculated. [2]
ii. State the principle of moments [2]
iii. Define the following terms with the aid of diagrams:
i) unstable equilibrium ii) stable equilibrium iii) neutral equilibrium [6]
QUESTION
Find the values of x and y if the system is in equilibrium. [5]
90kN 60kN

X y
3m
[Answer: x = 1.2 m and y = 1.8 m]
QUESTION
Find the position of balance of a 36 cm rod which has a weight of 10 N at one end and 8 N at the other
end. [5]
[Answer: 16 cm from the front or 20cm from the rear]

QUESTION
Calculate the support reactions R1 and R2 for the beam shown below. [10]
UDL=1500N/m 3000N 5000N 2000N

2m 2m 1m
R1 6m R2

[Answer: R1 = 8500N R2 = 10 500N]

QUESTION
Calculate reactions RA and RB if the beam weighs 650N which is simple supported at A and B. [10]

[Answer: RA = 1216 N and RB = 2594 N ]

QUESTION
Calculate the magnitude of the support reactions RB and RD shown below [10]
30KN 12KN
4KN/m 5KN/m

3m 2m 7m 3m
RB RD

[Answer: RB = 47 KN and RD = 42KN]

QUESTION
A lever ABCD shown below is pivoted at B. if the forces act at A and C as shown, calculate the value
of the force F required to keep the lever in equilibrium. [12]

[Answer: F = 64N]

QUESTION
A beam 10 m long is simply supported 2.5m from the left hand end and 1.5m from the right hand end.
Forces of 40KN and 60KN are applied at the left and right hand ends respectively and a uniformly
distributed load of 20kN/m is applied between the supports. Calculate the reactions at the supports if
the mass of the beam is 10kg. [12]
[Answers: RA = 101.724 KN and RB = 118.374 KN]
QUESTION
ABCDE is a uniform beam of length 20m and weighs 200N/m. The beam is simply supported at B and
E. AB = 6m, BC=5m, CD=5m and DE= 4m. The beam is loaded with point loads of 2KN at A, 3KN at
C and 4KN at D, all applied vertically downwards. There is UDL of 400N/m between B and E. Calculate
the reactions at the beam. [12]
[Answer: RB = 10.43 kN and RE = 4.57 kN]
QUESTION
A uniform beam 4m long is simply supported at two points A and B, point A being 0.5m from the left
end and point B, 1.5m from the right end. The beam carries loads of 600N at the left hand end, 800N at
its centre and 400N at its right hand end.
a. Determine the magnitude of the support reactions at A and B [9]
b. At what point should the load of 800N be applied to make the supports reaction equal? [6]
[Answers: a) RA = 650 N and RB = 1150 N b) 1.375 from the LHS]

QUESTION
A beam AB, 5m long is simply supported at its ends in a horizontal position. Its mass is equivalent to a
force of 400N. Point loads of 12kN and 20kN act on the beam 1.2m and 2.5m from point A respectively.
i. Determine the reactions of the supports [9]
ii. Determine the position to which the 12kN load must be moved for the reactions at the supports
to be equal [6]
[Answers: i) RA = 19.32 KN and RB = 13.08 KN ii) 2.5 m from A]
QUESTION
A horizontal beam AB of uniform cross section and being 5 m long rests on supports at its ends. The
beam has a mass of 500kg and carries a load of 20 KN at a point 1.25 m from A and a load 10KN at a
point 1.5 m from B.
a. Calculate the reactions at the supports [9]
b. At what point should the load of 20KN be applied to make the support reactions equal. [6]
[Answers: i) RA = 20.4525 KN and RB = 14.4525 KN ii) 2 m from A]
QUESTION
A horizontal beam AB is 6m long and weighs 25kN, is simply supported at A and B loads of 30kN
and 60kN are carried at 2m and 4m respectively.
i. Find the magnitude of the reactions A and B [8]
ii. If an extra load of 50kN is to be added to the beam in such a position that the reactions at A
and B are to be equal, what will these reactions then be, and at what distance from A must the
50kN load be situated? [7]
[Answers: i) RA = 52.5 kN and RB = 62.5 kN ii) RA = RB = 82.5kN and x = 2.4m from A]

QUESTION
a. The figure below shows a wheel of mass 15kg and radius 1m being pulled by a horizontal force
F against a step of 0.4m high. Calculate the minimum force required to overcome the step. [5]

[Answer: F = 196.2N]
 b. Calculate the horizontal force F which will just pull the roller over the step shown below. The
roller is 60 cm in diameter and a mass of one tonne. [5]

F
100mm

[Answer: F = 10.968 KN]

c. The arm shown below is keyed to a 15 cm diameter shaft otherwise it is free to rotate on the
shaft. Calculate the force on the key A if the load W is 200 N. [5]
A W

Ø25 Ø15 o

90 cm
[Answer: F= 2 400 N]

QUESTION
The trapdoor AB shown below is hinged at A and is raised by a rope BC passing over the small pulley
C. For the position shown, find the tension T in the rope. Assume the trap door be uniform and weighs
1 kN. [10]

[Answer: T = 0.26 KN]