APPLIED
MECHANICS
GET
207
1 Engr. Peter
COURSE OUTLINE
• Equilibrium of simple structures
• First moments of area.
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• EQUILIBRIUM OF SIMPLE STRUCTURES
When a body is in equilibrium, the resultant of all forces acting on it
is zero.
Thus, the resultant force R and the resultant couple M are both zero,
and we have the equilibrium equations;
R = ΣF = 0 M = ΣM = 0
Eq 1.
All physical bodies are three-dimensional, but we can treat many of
them as two-dimensional when the forces to which they are
subjected act in a single plane or can be projected onto a single
3
plane.
EQUILIBRIUM IN TWO
DIMENSIONS
Before we apply this equation R = ΣF = 0 M = ΣM = 0,
We must define unambiguously the particular body or mechanical
system to be analyzed and represent clearly and completely all forces
acting on the body.
Omission of a force which acts on the body, or inclusion of a force which
does not act on the body, will give erroneous results.
A mechanical system is defined as a body or group of bodies which
can
4 be conceptually isolated from all other bodies.
EQUILIBRIUM IN TWO
DIMENSIONS CONTD.
A system may be a single body or a combination of connected bodies.
The bodies may be rigid or non-rigid.
The system may also be an identifiable fluid mass, either liquid or gas,
or a combination of fluids and solids.
In statics we study primarily forces which act on rigid bodies at rest,
although we also study forces acting on fluids in equilibrium.
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EQUILIBRIUM IN TWO DIMENSIONS CONTD.
Once we decide which body or combination of bodies to analyze, we
then treat this body or combination as a single body isolated from all
surrounding bodies.
This isolation is accomplished by means of the free-body diagram,
which is a diagrammatic representation of the isolated system treated
as a single body.
The diagram shows all forces applied to the system by mechanical
6contact with other bodies, which are imagined to be removed.
EQUILIBRIUM IN TWO
DIMENSIONS CONTD.
If appreciable body forces are present, such as gravitational or magnetic
attraction, then these forces must also be shown on the free-body
diagram of the isolated system.
Only after such a diagram has been carefully drawn should the
equilibrium equations be written.
Because of its critical importance, we emphasize here that
the free-body diagram is the most important single step in the solution of
problems in mechanics.
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Before attempting to draw a free-body diagram, we must recall the
basic characteristics of force.
With primary attention focused on the vector properties of force.
Forces can be applied either by direct physical contact or by remote
action.
Forces can be either internal or external to the system under
consideration.
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Application of force is accompanied by reactive force, and both applied
and reactive forces may be either concentrated or distributed.
The principle of transmissibility permits the treatment of force as a
sliding vector as far as its external effects on a rigid body are
concerned.
We will now use these force characteristics to develop conceptual
models of isolated mechanical systems.
These models enable us to write the appropriate equations of
Modeling the Action of Forces
Figure below shows the common types of force application on
mechanical systems for analysis in two dimensions.
Each example shows the force exerted on the body to be isolated, by
the body to be removed.
Newton’s third law, which notes the existence of an equal and opposite
reaction to every action, must be carefully observed.
The force exerted on the body in question by a contacting or supporting
member is always in the sense to oppose the movement of the isolated
body which would occur if the contacting or supporting body were
removed.
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o The free-body method is extremely important in mechanics because it
ensures an accurate definition of a mechanical system and focuses
attention on the exact meaning and application of the force laws of
statics and dynamics.
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Examples of Free-Body
Diagrams
Figure below gives four examples of mechanisms and structures
together with their correct free-body diagrams.
Dimensions and magnitudes are omitted for clarity.
In each case we treat the entire system as a single body, so that the
internal forces are not shown.
The characteristics of the various types of contact forces illustrated in
the Figure are used in the four examples as they apply.
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FREE-BODY DIAGRAM EXERCISES
In each of the five following examples, the body to be isolated is shown in the left-
hand diagram, and an incomplete free-body diagram (FBD) of the isolated body is
shown on the right. Add whatever forces are necessary in each case to form a
complete free-body diagram. The weights of the bodies are negligible unless
otherwise indicated. Dimensions and numerical values are omitted for simplicity.
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Equilibrium Conditions
Equilibrium can be as the condition in which the resultant of all forces
and moments acting on a body is zero
Stated in another way, a body is in equilibrium if all forces and moments
applied to it are in balance.
These requirements are contained in the vector equations of equilibrium,
Eq 1., which in two dimensions may be written in scalar form as
ΣFx = 0 Σfy = 0 ΣM0 = 0
The third equation represents the zero sum of the moments of all forces
about any point O on or off the body.
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Two- and Three-Force
Members
You should be alert to two frequently occurring
equilibrium situations.
The first situation is the equilibrium of a body
under the action of two forces only.
Two examples are shown in Fig. 1, and we see
that for such a two-force member to be in
equilibrium, the forces must be equal, opposite,
Fig. 1.
and collinear.
The shape of the member does not affect this
simple requirement.
In the illustrations cited, we consider the weights
of the members to be negligible compared with
Two- and Three-Force
Members Contd.
The second situation is a three-force member, which
is a body under the action of three forces, Fig. a.
We see that equilibrium requires the lines of action
of the three forces to be concurrent.
If they were not concurrent, then one of the forces
would exert a resultant moment about the point of
intersection of the other two, which would violate
the requirement of zero moment about every point.
The only exception occurs when the three forces are
parallel.
In this case we may consider the point of
concurrency to be at infinity. 26
Two- and Three-Force
Members Contd.
The principle of the concurrency of three forces in equilibrium is of
considerable use in carrying out a graphical solution of the force
equations.
In this case the polygon of forces is drawn and made to close, as shown
in Fig. b.
Frequently, a body in equilibrium under the action of more than three
forces may be reduced to a three-force member by a combination of
two or more of the known forces.
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Alternative Equilibrium
Equations
There are two other ways to express the general conditions for the
equilibrium of forces in two dimensions.
The first way was illustrated above.
For the body shown in Figure a, if ΣMA = 0, then the resultant, if it still
exists, cannot be a couple, but must be a force R passing through A.
If now the equation ΣFx = 0 holds, where the x-direction is arbitrary, it
follows from Fig. 3/6b that the resultant force R, if it still exists, not only
must pass through A, but also must be perpendicular to the x-direction
as shown.
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Alternative Equilibrium
Equations Contd.
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Alternative Equilibrium
Equations Contd.
Now, if ΣMB = 0, where B is any point such that the line AB is not
perpendicular to the x-direction, we see that R must be zero, and
thus the body is in equilibrium.
Therefore, an alternative set of equilibrium equations is
ΣFx = 0 ΣMA = 0 ΣMB = 0
where the two points A and B must not lie on a line perpendicular
to the x-direction.
A third formulation of the equilibrium conditions may be made for a
coplanar force system. This is illustrated in Fig. parts (c) and (d).
Again, if ΣMA = 0 for any body such as that shown in Fig. c, the
resultant, if any, must be a force R through A.
In addition, if ΣMB = 0, the resultant, if one still exists, must pass
through B as shown in Fig. d.
Such a force cannot exist, however, if ΣMC = 0, where C is not
collinear with A and B.
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Alternative Equilibrium
Equations Contd.
Thus, we may write the equations of equilibrium as
ΣMA = 0 ΣMB = 0 ΣMC = 0
where A, B, and C are any three points not on the same straight line.
When equilibrium equations are written which are not independent,
redundant information is obtained, and a correct solution of the
equations will yield 0 = 0.
For example, for a general problem in two dimensions with three
unknowns, three moment equations written about three points which
lie on the same straight line are not independent.
Such equations will contain duplicated information, and solution of
two of them can at best determine two of the unknowns, with the
third equation merely verifying the identity 0 = 0.
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Constraints and Statical
Determinacy
The equilibrium equations developed in this course are both necessary
and sufficient conditions to establish the equilibrium of a body.
However, they do not necessarily provide all the information required
to calculate all the unknown forces which may act on a body in
equilibrium.
Whether the equations are adequate to determine all the unknowns
depends on the characteristics of the constraints against possible
movement of the body provided by its supports. By constraint we
mean the restriction of movement.
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Adequacy of
Constraints
The existence of three constraints for a two-dimensional problem does
not always guarantee a stable equilibrium configuration.
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Example: The electric sander has a mass of 3 kg
with mass center at G and is held in a slightly tilted
position (z-axis vertical) so that the sanding disk
makes contact at its top A with the surface being
sanded. The sander is gripped by its handles at B
and C. If the normal force R against the disk is
maintained at 20 N and is due entirely to the force
component Bx (i.e., ), and if the friction force F
acting on the disk is 60 percent of R, determine the
components of the couple M which must be applied
to the handle at C to hold the sander in position.
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