Chapter 1 - Introduction
Mechanics - physical science concerned with state of rest or motion of bodies under the action of
forces.
1) Solids
a) Rigid bodies
i) Statics – bodies at rest
ii) Dynamics – bodies in motion
b) Deformable bodies – Mechanics of Materials
2) Liquids and Gases - Fluid Mechanics
In Statics, the bodies are perfectly rigid, no deformation.
In Statics and Dynamics, 2 kinds of masses are discussed:
1. Particles – matter occupying a single point in space (no size or shape)
2. Rigid body – mass that takes into account size and shape, but cannot be deformed
Basic concepts: length, time, mass, force
1. Length – describes the size of a physical system and locates the position of each point in
space
2. Time - the measure of the succession of events
3. Mass - the measure of the inertia of a body, which is its resistance to a change of motion.
4. Force - the action of one body on another and characterized by point of application,
magnitude, and direction
Two Types of Forces:
1. Concentrated Force - idealization where force is assumed to act at one point on the body.
2. Distributed Load – force acts on the body over an area or region
History
Statics developed early in history because its principles can be formulated by measurements of
geometry and force. Archimedes (287-212 B.C.) dealt with the principle of the lever. The
pulley, inclined plane, and wrench were all developed in ancient writings.
Principles in Dynamics depend on accurate measurements of time and thus came about much
later. Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) performed experiments on pendulums and falling bodies. The
most significant contributions came from Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727). He developed the
fundamental three laws of motion and the law of universal gravitation. Euler, D’Alembert,
LaGrange, and other built off these laws and applied them to various applications shortly
afterward.
In most of our classes, the concepts of space, time, and mass are absolute and independent of
each other. We refer to this as Newtonian Mechanics. It is valid at our scale but tends to break
down at the very large and very small scale.
Fundamental Principles in Mechanics
Parallelogram Law for addition of forces – 2 forces acting on a particle may be replaced
by a single force called the resultant
Transmissibility – forces that have the same magnitude, direction, and line of action have
the same effect on a body regardless of point of application
F F
Newton’s first law – a particle in motion tends to stay in motion and a particle at rest
tends to stay at rest unless acted upon by an outside force
Newton’s second law –
F ma
In Statics, only bodies at rest are analyzed. Thus, a 0 and F 0 . Typically, these
bodies are in rest due to a support or constraint.
Newton’s third law – for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction
m
g
N
m
N
M
M
Newton's Law of Gravitational Attraction
Mm
F G
r2
where F = force of gravitation between two particles
G = universal constant of gravitation, 66.73x10-12 m3/kg s2
M, m = mass of each particle
r = distance between the particles
Particles are mutually attracted toward each other with the same force exerted by each
(Newton’s 3rd law). All objects attract one another. However, the effect is often
negligible for everyday sized objects.
Example: A 70 kg man and a 50 kg woman are 1 m apart. What is the gravitational
force of attraction between them?
3 70kg(50kg)
F 66.73x10 12 m 2 2
2.34 x10 7 N
kg s (1m)
This is a negligible force that can be ignored. However, if one or both of the objects is
extremely large (planet sized), then this force can start to become large enough to be
noticeable.
The Earth is the most common object that exerts a strong gravitational effect on other
objects. Since many of the values in the calculation are the same, we often lump these
into a common constant, g.
GM
g 2
r
where M = mass of earth
r = radius of earth
g = acceleration due to gravity on earth
then
F = mg
g = 9.81 m/s² = 32.2 ft/ s²
The force on an object due to the gravity is known as the weight.
System of Units
Unfortunately, we need to use both SI and English units.
Length Time Mass Force
meter second kilogram Newton
SI Units
m s kg N = kg m/s2
foot second slug* pound
English Units
ft s slug = (lb s2/ ft) lb
Useful conversions to remember:
1 in = 2.54 cm
1 lb = 4.448 N
1 slug = 14.59 kg
Numerical Calculations
Dimensionally Homogeneous – each term in any equation or calculation must be expressed in
the same units
Example – position equation for motion with constant acceleration
a
x x0 v0 t t 2
2
m m m / s( s) m / s 2 ( s) 2
Where x = position as a function of time (m)
x0 = initial position (m)
v0 = initial velocity (m/s)
a = acceleration (m/s2)
t = time (s)
Significant Figures – these determine the accuracy or confidence in a certain number. For this
class, use 3 significant figures for calculations.
General Procedure for Analysis
1. Read the problem carefully and try to relate it to the theories learned in physics.
2. Tabulate the given data and draw any necessary diagrams.
3. Apply the relevant theories to the problem in mathematical form (equations).
4. Solve the necessary equations.
