DEFENCE UNIVERSITY,

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

ENGINEERING MECHANICS –I , STATICS

CHAPTER TWO
FORCE SYSTEM

prepared by : Gashaw S.(Msc)

 Content
2. FORCE SYSTEMS
2.1. Introduction
2.2. Resolution of a Force
2.2.1. Coplanar Force Systems (2-D)
2.2.2. Non-Coplanar Force Systems (3-D)
2.3. Moment, Couple & Force-Couple systems
2.3.1. 2-D
2.3.2. 3-D
2.4. Resultants
 2.1 Introduction
• A force can be defined as the action of one body
on another that changes/tends to change the
state of the body acted on.
• A force can be applied on a body as;
• Contact force:- Applied by direct mechanical
contact of the acting body on the acted one
(Created by push and pull).
2.1 Introduction
• Remote action (Body force):- Applied
by remote action as in gravitational,
electrical, Magnetic, etc. forces.
 2.1 Introduction
• A force may also be classified as
• Concentrated and
• Distributed
• Concentrated when area of application is
negligible (very small)
• A force can be distributed over
• Area, as in the case of mechanical
contact
• Volume, when considering body forces
such as weight
• A line, in the case of the weight of a
suspended cable.
The gravitational force of the
plane is distributed over the entire
volume of the airplane KN/𝑚3

Representation of a force
distributed over an area KN/ 𝑚2

Representation of a force
distributed over a line
KN/m
2.1 Introduction
• External and Internal Effects
• We can separate the action of a force
on a body into two effects,
internal(strain & stress) and external.
(applied & reactive)
 2.1 Introduction
• Principle of Transmissibility
• When dealing with mechanics of rigid
body, we are only concerned about the
net effects of external forces
• In such cases it is not necessary to
restrict the action of an applied force to
a given point.
 2.1 Introduction
• Principle of transmissibility states
that a force may be applied at any
point on its given line of action
without altering the resultant effect of
the force,external to the rigid body on
which it acts.
 2.1 Introduction
• Force System
• A system of forces can be grouped into
different categories depending on their
arrangement in space
• Collinear forces:- are coplanar forces
acting on the same line

• Coplanar Forces:- are forces which act

on the same plane.
 2.1 Introduction
• Concurrent forces:-Are forces whose lines
of action intersect at a point

• General forces:-
 2.2. Resolution of a Force
2.2.1. Coplanar Force Systems (2-D)
Resolution is the reverse of composition. It is
the process of getting the components of a
vector along different axes.
𝐴Ԧ𝑛 𝐴Ԧ
=
sin ∅ sin 𝛼

𝐴Ԧ
𝐴Ԧ𝑛 =sin 𝛼 sin ∅
t 𝐴Ԧ 𝐴Ԧ
Ԧ
𝐴
𝐴Ԧ𝑡 =sin 𝛼 sin 𝜃

∅ 𝐴Ԧ𝑡 ∅
For rectangular coordinate
𝛼 system 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝛼 = 1
𝜃 𝜃
n
𝐴Ԧ𝑛
 2.2.1. Resolution of a Force
• Rectangular Component
• The most common two-dimensional
resolution method.
• Rectangular components of a force are
the components of the force along the
rectangular coordinate axes.
•
2.2.2. Non-Coplanar Force Systems (3-D)
• Rectangular components
• Many problems in mechanics requires
analysis in 3 dimension
• To solve such problems it is necessary to
resolve the force into its three mutually
perpendicular components.
• A force F in 3-D system has a rectangular
components Fx, Fy, Fz
Rectangular Components
 Rectangular Components
• In solving three-dimensional problems,
one must usually find the x, y and z scalar
components of a given or unknown force.
In most cases, the direction of a force is
described;
A. By two points on the line of action of the
force, or
B. By two angles which orient the line of
action.
 Rectangular Components
A. By two points on the line of action of the force
• If the coordinates of two point, say A & B, on the line
of action of the force are known and the direction of
the force is from A to B, the force may be written as
 Rectangular Components
B. By two angles which orient the line of
action.
 Rectangular Components
Dot product
• It is possible to express the rectangular
components of a force with the aid of the vector
operation known as the dot or scalar product.
P. Q = 𝑃𝑄 cos 𝜃
• This product can be viewed as either
1. The orthogonal projection of 𝑃 cos 𝜃 of P on
the direction of Q multiplied by Q, or
2. As the orthogonal projection of 𝑄 cos 𝜃 of Q in
the direction of P multiplied by P
2.3. Moment, Couple & Force-Couple systems
• Moment
• In addition to moving a body in the direction
of it’s application, a force also tends to rotate
• This tendency of a force to rotate a body
about a given axis is known as the moment.
• The axis of rotation may be any line which
neither intersect nor is parallel to the line of
action of the force
 Moment
• The moment or rotational tendency of a force
is proportional to magnitude of the force and
the moment arm d, which is the
perpendicular distance from the axis to the
line of action of the force.
• The axis of rotation, axis O-O, of the body is
normal to the plane of the body formed by
the force and position vector.
magnitude of moment can be obtained by:
M=Fxd
 Moment
The cross product
• Useful when dealing with complex 2-
dimensional and 3-dimensional problems.
• The moment of a force F about a point may be
represented by the cross-product expression.
M=rXF
• Where r is the position vector from point of
rotation to point of application of the force.
• The magnitude of this expression is
M = rFsin𝜃
 Moment
Varignon's theorem
• One of the most important principles in
mechanics states “the moment of a
resultant force about any point is equal to
the sum of the moments of the
components of the force about the same
point.”
 Couple
• The moment produced by two equal and
opposite and non-collinear forces

• These two forces can’t be combined in to

a single force of the same effect on the
body, as their sum in every direction is
zero.
• Their only effect is to create a tendency of
rotation
 Couple
• The combined moment of the two forces
about an axis normal to their plane and
passing through any point such as o in
their plane is the couple, M.
 Couple

The magnitude of the couple M = F (a + d ) − Fa

= Fd
 Couple
• Equivalent Couples
• Changing the value of F and d does not
change a given couple as long as the
product Fd remains the same.
• Likewise, a couple is not affected if the
forces act in a different but parallel plane.
 Force-Couple System
• The effect of a force on a body is the
tendency to push or pull and to rotate
the body.
• The representation of this dual effect can
be facilitated by replacing the given force
by an equal and parallel force and a
couple to compensate for the change in
the moment of the forces.
 2.3.2. Moment and Couple 3-D
• Moments in three dimensions
• In two dimensional analysis it is
convenient to use the moment arm rule
(M=Fd)
• However, In three dimensions, the
determination of the perpendicular
distance between a point or line and the
line of action of the force can be a tedious
computation.
• In such cases the use of a vector approach
with cross-product multiplication
becomes advantageous
 Cross product

𝑴𝒐 = 𝒓𝒚 𝑭𝒛 − 𝒓𝒛 𝑭𝒚 𝒊 + 𝒓𝒛 𝑭𝒙 − 𝒓𝒙 𝑭𝒛 𝒋 + 𝒓𝒙 𝑭𝒚 − 𝒓𝒚 𝑭𝒙 𝒌
• 𝑴𝒙 = 𝒓𝒛 𝑭𝒚 − 𝒓𝒚 𝑭𝒛
• 𝑴𝒚 = 𝒓𝒛 𝑭𝒙 − 𝒓𝒙 𝑭𝒛
• 𝑴𝒛 = 𝒓𝒙 𝑭𝒚 − 𝒓𝒚 𝑭𝒙
 2.3.2. Moment and Couple 3-D
• Moment about an Arbitrary Axis
• It is possible to obtain an expression for
moment 𝑀 of F about any axis  through O

• We can use dot product expression

• 𝑀 = 𝑀0 . 𝑛 → 𝑀 = 𝑟 × 𝐹. 𝑛
• Vector expression M = 𝑟 × 𝐹. 𝑛 𝑛
 2.3.2. Moment and Couple 3-D
• Varignon's theorem
• Varignon's theorem introduced in two-
dimension can be easily extended to three
dimensions.
 2.3.2. Moment and Couple 3-D
• Couples in Three Dimensions
• If the vector r joins any point B on the line of
action of −𝐹Ԧ to any point A on the line of
Ԧ The combined moment (couple)
action of 𝐹.
of the two forces about O is;
𝑀 = 𝑟𝐴 × 𝐹 + 𝑟𝐵 × −𝐹 = 𝑟𝐴 − 𝑟𝐵 × 𝐹
𝑀 =𝑟×𝐹
• Magnitude of M
𝑀 = 𝐹𝑑
 2.3.2. Moment and Couple 3-D
• Force-Couple System
• It is possible to carry out replacement of a
force by its equivalent force-couple system in
three dimensions.
 2.4. Resultants
• The resultant of a force system is
the simplest force combination
that can replace the original forces
without altering the external effect
of the system on the rigid body to
which the forces are applied.
• The equilibrium of a body is the
condition where the resultant if all
forces that act on it is zero.
 2.4. Resultants
• The resultant can be computed by using
the parallelogram rule or using
analytical methods.
 2.4. Resultants
• The algebraic method can be used to obtain
the resultant force and its line of action.
Steps
1. Choose a convenient reference point and
move all forces to that point. Also determine
the couple resulting from the transfer of
forces.
 2.4. Resultants (2D)
2. Add all forces at the point chosen to
form the resultant force R and add all
the couples to form the resultant
couple M. Then the single force-couple
system can be obtained.
 2.4. Resultants
3. The line of action of the resultant
force R can be obtained by determining
the arm distance d required to create the
moment M
 2.4. Resultants
• The resultant of a force system is the simplest
force combination
• Any system of forces may be replaced by its
resultant force R and the resultant couple M
• The magnitude of the resultants and their
components are
 2.4. Resultants

• The point O selected as the point of concurrency

for the force is arbitrary
• The magnitude and direction of M depend on
the particular point O selected
• However the magnitude and direction of R are
the same no matter which point is selected.
 2.4. Resultants
• Resultant of special force system
• Concurrent Forces. When forces are
concurrent at a point only 𝑅 = σ 𝐹 is used
because there is no moment about the point
of concurrency.
• Parallel Forces. For a parallel forces not all in
the same plane, the magnitude of the
resultant force R is simply the algebraic sum of
the given forces.
The position of its line of action is obtained
from the principle of moments by requiring
that 𝑀 = 𝑟 × 𝐹
• Coplanar Forces.
 2.4. Resultants
• Wrench Resultant. When the resultant couple
vector is parallel to the resultant force R the
resultant is called a wrench.
 2.4. Resultants
• Any general force system may be represented
by a wrench applied along a unique line of
action.
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