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Statics of Rigid Bodies:: Couple

This document discusses couples, which are pairs of forces that are equal in magnitude but opposite in direction and do not share a line of action. A couple does not produce translation but instead results in pure rotation. It provides examples of couples in steering wheels and bridges. It also gives examples of calculating the equivalent force and moment of couples acting on rigid bodies.

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Lance Castillo
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920 views4 pages

Statics of Rigid Bodies:: Couple

This document discusses couples, which are pairs of forces that are equal in magnitude but opposite in direction and do not share a line of action. A couple does not produce translation but instead results in pure rotation. It provides examples of couples in steering wheels and bridges. It also gives examples of calculating the equivalent force and moment of couples acting on rigid bodies.

Uploaded by

Lance Castillo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Statics of Rigid Bodies

TOPIC 4: COUPLE

A couple consists of two parallel forces that are equal in magnitude, opposite in sense and do not
share a line of action. It does not produce any translation, only rotation. The resultant force of a couple is
zero. BUT, the resultant of a couple is not zero; it is a pure moment.

For example, the forces that two hands apply to turn a steering wheel are often (or should be) a
couple. Each hand grips the wheel at points on opposite sides of the shaft. When they apply a force that is
equal in magnitude yet opposite in direction the wheel rotates. If both hands applied a force in the same
direction, the sum of the moments created by each force would equal zero and the wheel would not rotate.
Instead of rotating around the shaft, the shaft would be loaded with a force tending to cause a translation
with a magnitude of twice F. If the forces applied by the two hands were unequal, there would again be an
unbalanced force creating a translation of the "system." A pure couple always consists of two forces equal in
magnitude.

Couple is a system of forces whose magnitude of the resultant is zero and yet has a moment sum.
Geometrically, couple is composed of two equal forces that are parallel to each other and acting in opposite
direction.

Where F are the two forces and d is the


moment arm, or the perpendicular
distance between the forces.
C=Fd

Example1:
A couple consists of two vertical forces of 60 lb each. One force acts up through A and the
other acts down through D. Transform the couple into an equivalent couple having horizontal
forces acting through E and F.

12
Statics of Rigid Bodies

60lb

60lb
𝐶 = 𝐹𝑑
C = 60
P lb (2ft) = 120lb.ft
3P = 2C
3P = 120 lb.ft
P = 40 lb
P
=

Example 2:
Determine the resultant moment about point A of
the system of forces show . Each square is 1 ft. on a side.

Solution:

𝑀𝐴 + 𝑃𝑉 2𝑓𝑡 + 𝑃𝐻 3𝑓𝑡 − 𝑄𝐻 4𝑓𝑡 + 80𝑙𝑏 2𝑓𝑡 − 100𝑙𝑏 2𝑓𝑡


=2 0 3 1
𝑀𝐴 = −200𝑙𝑏 2𝑓𝑡 − 200𝑙𝑏 3𝑓𝑡 + 100 4𝑓𝑡 − 80𝑙𝑏 2𝑓𝑡 + 100𝑙𝑏 2𝑓𝑡
13 13 5
𝑀𝐴 = −221.8801𝑙𝑏𝑓𝑡 − 499.2302 𝑙𝑏. 𝑓𝑡 + 178.8854𝑙𝑏𝑓𝑡 − 160𝑙𝑏𝑓𝑡 + 141.4214𝑙𝑏𝑓𝑡
𝑴𝑨 = −𝟓𝟔𝟎. 𝟖𝟎𝟑𝟓𝒍𝒃. 𝒇𝒕

13
Statics of Rigid Bodies

Example 2:
A vertical force P at A and another vertical force F at B produce a resultant of 100 lb down
at D and a counter clockwise couple C of 200 lb·ft. Find the magnitude and direction of forces P
and F.

Solution: F
P

𝑀𝐵 = 7𝑅 + 200 + 3𝑃 = 0 ∑ 𝐹𝑦 = 𝑅
−3𝑃 = 7𝑅 + 200 𝑃+𝑅=𝐹
7 100 +200
𝑃=− −300 + 100 = 𝐹
3
𝑷 = −𝟑𝟎𝟎𝒍𝒃 𝑭 = 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝒍𝒃 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅

14
Statics of Rigid Bodies

Exercises 1
1. Angle bar ABCDE is loaded with several force couple as
shown. Determine the magnitude and the direction of each
force couple pair. Determine the equivalent moment and
direction of all force couples combined.

2. Traffic light BCDE is loaded with a 200 N traffic light at


E supported by cable BA (DE =3.0m). Determine the
equivalent force-couple system at base C.

3. Curve bar AB is loaded with 100lb force and a 1500lb-in


couple as shown. Estimate the equivalent force-couple
system at base A. Calculate the equivalent force-couple
system at base B.

4. Two couples act on the beam and d equals 8 ft. Find the
resultant couple.

15

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