Course: Engineering Mechanics Laboratory

Date:

Experiment # 1
Introduction to Engineering Mechanics
The main objective of the course in mechanics should be to develop the ability in the
engineering student to analyze any problem in a simple and logical manner and to apply to its
solution using well understood basic principles. Based on the theoretical concepts studied in
the course AML151: Engineering Mechanics, a total ten experiments are performed in the
course AMP 151. The course starts with a generalized introduction to engineering mechanics,
force system and unit system and covers experiments based on rigid body mechanics and
deformable body principles. The experiments also include validation of various theorems and
laws that are studied in the course AML 151 such a law of polygon of forces, verification of
Lami’s Theorem along the application of the concept of equilibrium to determine the
forces in shear leg apparatus and reactions in simply supported beam. The coefficient of
static friction and centre of gravity of planar figures are also determined experimentally.
Tests are also conducted on various materials such Tension test, bending test and torsion
test to understand the behavior of materials under different types of loading viz. axial tension,
flexure bending and torsion.

1.1 MECHANICS

Mechanics can be defined as that science which describes and predicts the conditions of rest
or motion of bodies under the action of forces. It is divided into three parts: mechanics of
rigid bodies, mechanics of deformable bodies, and mechanics of fluids. The mechanics of
rigid bodies is subdivided into statics and dynamics, the former dealing with bodies at rest,
the latter with bodies in motion. In this part of the study of mechanics, bodies are assumed to
be perfectly rigid. Actual structures and machines, however, are never absolutely rigid and
deform under the loads to which they are subjected. But these deformations are usually small
and do not appreciably affect the conditions of equilibrium or motion of the structure under
consideration. They are important, though, as far as the resistance of the structure to failure is
concerned and are studied in mechanics of materials, which is a part of the mechanics of
deformable bodies. The third division of mechanics, the mechanics of fluids, is subdivided
into the study of incompressible fluids and of compressible fluids. Thus, mechanics is the
foundation of most engineering sciences and is an indispensable prerequisite to their study.
The purpose of mechanics is to explain and predict physical
phenomena and thus to lay the foundations for engineering applications. Although the study
of mechanics goes back to the time of Aristotle (384–322 b.c.) and Archimedes (287–212
b.c.), one has to wait until Newton (1642–1727) to find a satisfactory formulation of its
fundamental principles. These principles were later expressed in a modified form by
d’Alembert, Lagrange, and Hamilton. Their validity remained unchallenged, however, until
Einstein formulated his theory of relativity (1905). While its limitations have now been
recognized, newtonian mechanics still remains the basis of today’s engineering sciences. The
basic concepts used in mechanics are space, time, mass, and force. These concepts cannot be

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truly defined; they should be accepted on the basis of our intuition and experience and used
as a mental frame of reference for our study of mechanics. The concept of space is associated
with the notion of the position of a point P. The position of P can be defined by three lengths
measured from a certain reference point, or origin, in three given directions. These lengths
are known as the coordinates of P. To define an event, it is not sufficient to indicate its
position in three dimensional spaces. The time of the event should also be given. The concept
of mass is used to characterize and compare bodies on the basis of certain fundamental
mechanical experiments. Two bodies of the same mass, for example, will be attracted by the
earth in the same manner; they will also offer the same resistance to a change in translational
motion. A force represents the action of one body on another. It can be exerted by actual
contact or at a distance, as in the case of gravitational forces and magnetic forces. A force is
characterized by its point of application, its magnitude, and its direction; a force is
represented by a vector.

1.2 FORCE SYSTEM

Force is an external action which tries to change the state of rest or motion of the body upon
which it acts. A force is a vector quantity having unit Newton. Any force is to be
characterized by its magnitude, direction, point of application and nature of force i.e.
tensile or compressive. Figure 1 shows an example of force. When two or more forces act on
a body, they are called to form a system of forces. Table 1 summarizes system of forces along
with its examples.

Force (F)

Weight of
block (W)

Figure 1 Example of a force

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Table 1 Classification of System of Forces

System of Description Example
Forces
Collinear Forces The line of action of all the
forces are along the same
line

Concurrent The line of action of all

Forces forces pass through same
point

Non- Concurrent The line of action of all F1

Forces forces pass through different F1
point

F3
F2

Co-Planar All the forces lying in the F3 F1

Forces same plane.

F2

Non- Coplanar Forces with the line of action

Forces lying in different planes.

Like Parallel Forces whose line of action

Forces is parallel to each other and
all of them act in the same
direction.

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Unlike Parallel Forces whose line of action

Forces is parallel to each other but
all of them do not act in the
same direction.

Co-Planar Co- All the forces lying in the

Linear same plane and pass along
the same line of action.

Co-Planar All the forces lying in the

Concurrent same plane and pass through
Forces same point
Co-Planar Non- All the forces lying in the
Concurrent same plane and do not pass
Forces through same point

Non-Co-Planar Forces whose line of action

Concurrent do not lie on the same plane
Forces but they meet at one point

Non Co-Planar Forces whose line of action

Non Concurrent do not lie on the same plane F3
Forces and they do not meet at any
point
F2 F1

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1.3 UNIT SYSTEM

The four basic quantities—length, time, mass, and force—are not all independent from one
another; in fact, they are related by Newton’s second law of motion, F = ma. Because of this,
the units used to measure these quantities cannot all be selected arbitrarily. The equality F =
ma is maintained only if three of the four units, called base units, are defined and the fourth
unit is then derived from the equation. The International System of units, abbreviated SI after
the French “Système International d’Unités,” is a modern version of the metric system which
has received worldwide recognition. As shown in Table 1, the SI system defines length in
meters (m), time in seconds (s), and mass in kilograms (kg). The unit of force, called a
newton (N), is derived from F = ma. Thus, 1 newton is equal to a force required to give 1
kilogram of mass an acceleration of 1 m/s2 (N = kg.m/s2). If the weight of a body located at
the “standard location” is to be determined in newtons, then Eq. 1 must be applied. Here
measurements give g = 9.806 65 m/s2; however, for calculations, the value g = 9.81 m/s2 will
be used. Thus,

W = mg (g = 9.81 m/s2) (1)

Therefore, a body of mass 1 kg has a weight of 9.81 N; a 2-kg body weighs 19.62 N, and so
on. In the U.S. Customary system of units (FPS) length is measured in feet (ft), time in
seconds (s), and force in pounds (lb). The unit of mass, called a slug, is derived from F=ma
Hence, 1 slug is equal to the amount of matter accelerated at 1 ft/s2, when acted upon by a
force of 1 lb (slug=lb.s2/ft). Therefore, if the measurements are made at the “standard
location,” where g=32.2ft/s2 therefore, a body weighing 32.2 lb has a mass of 1 slug, a 64.4 lb
body has a mass of 2 slugs.

Table 1 System of units

Name Length Time Mass Force
SI units meter (m) second (s) kilogram (kg) newton (N)
FPS foot (ft) second (s) slug (lb.s2/ft) Pound (lb)

Table 2 provides a set of direct conversion factors between FPS and SI units for the basic
quantities. Also, in the FPS system, recall that 1 ft = 12 in. (inches), 5280 ft = 1 mi (mile),
1000 lb = 1 kip (kilo-pound), and 2000 lb = 1 ton.

Table 2 Conversion Factors

Quantity Units of Units of

measurement (FPS) measurement (SI)
Force lb 4.448 N
Mass Slug Equals 14.59 kg
Length ft 0.304 8 m

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When a numerical quantity is either very large or very small, the units used to define its size
may be modified by using a prefix. Some of the prefixes used in the SI system are shown in
Table 3. Each represents a multiple or submultiple of a unit which, if applied successively,
moves the decimal point of a numerical quantity to every third place.* For example, 4 000
000 N = 4 000 kN (kilo-newton) = 4 MN (mega-newton), or 0.005 m = 5 mm (milli-meter).
Notice that the SI system does not include the multiple deca (10) or the submultiple centi
(0.01), which form part of the metric system. Except for some volume and area
measurements, the use of these prefixes is to be avoided in science and engineering.

Table 3 Prefixes
Multiple Exponential Prefix SI symbol
Form
1 000 000 000 109 giga G
6
1 000 000 10 mega M
1 000 103 Kilo k
submultiple
0.001 10-3 milli m
0.000 001 10-6 micro 
0.000 000 001 10-9 nano 

Here are a few of the important rules that describe the proper use of the various SI symbols:

(1). Quantities defined by several units which are multiples of one another are separated
by a dot to avoid confusion with prefix notation, as indicated by N=kg. m/s2. Also,
m.s (meter-second), whereas ms (milli-second).

(2). The exponential power on a unit having a prefix refers to both the unit and its prefix.
For example, N2= (N) 2=N·N. Likewise, mm2 represents (mm) 2=mm·mm.

(3). With the exception of the base unit the kilogram, in general avoid the use of a prefix
in the denominator of composite units. For example, do not write N/mm, but rather
kN/m; also, m/mg should be written as Mm/kg

(4). When performing calculations, represent the numbers in terms of their base or
derived units by converting all prefixes to powers of 10. The final result should then
be expressed using a single prefix.Also, after calculation, it is best to keep numerical
values between 0.1 and 1000; otherwise, a suitable prefix should be chosen. For
example,
(50kN) (60 nm) = [50 (103) N][60 (10-9)m

= 3000 (10-6) N·m

= 3 (10-3) N·m

= 3 mN·m

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