Module 02 -

Mechanics
Contents
• Classification of mechanics
• Axioms in mechanics
• Force and characteristics of force
• Classification of force system
• Resultant and Composition of force
• Principles of transmissibility
• Moment of force
• Resultant of coplanar concurrent force system
• Free body diagrams
Mechanics
• The science that describes and predicts the
conditions of rest or motion of bodies under
the action of forces.
 Mechanics

Mechanics of
Mechanics of Mechanics of
Deformable
Rigid Bodies Fluids
Bodies

Strength of Incompressible
Statics
Materials Fluids

Theory of Compressible
Dynamics
Elasticity Fluids

Theory of
Plasticity
Fundamental concepts & principles
Axioms in
Mechanics
• Space – Associated with the position of a
point, which can be defined by providing
three lengths in three directions
(coordinates) from a certain reference
points (origin).

• Time – Associated with the occurrence of

an event.
 • Mass – Measure of matter present in a body.
Axioms in • Force – Represents the action of one body on another
(direct contact or distant), characterized by point of
Mechanics application, magnitude and direction (vector).
Fundamental Principles
• The Parallelogram Law for the Addition of Forces
• The Principle of Transmissibility
• Newton’s Laws of Motion
• FIRST LAW: If the resultant force acting on a particle is zero, the particle
remains at rest or moves with constant speed in a straight line (if originally in
rest or motion respectively).
• SECOND LAW. If the resultant force acting on a particle is not zero, the
particle has an acceleration proportional to the magnitude of the resultant and
in the direction of this resultant force.
• THIRD LAW. The forces of action and reaction between bodies in contact
have the same magnitude, same line of action, and opposite sense.
• Newton’s Law of Gravity
Technical Terms
• Particle: A body of infinitely small volume
whose mass can be neglected, is called
a particle.
• Body: The assemblage of a number of
particles is known as a body.
• Rigid body: A rigid body is one in which
the positions of the constituent particles
do not change under the application of
external forces.
Technical Terms
• Deformable body: One in which the
positions of constituent particles change
under the application of external forces.
• Weight: The force on a body due to
attraction = mass × acceleration due to
gravity
• W = mg, in newton, where g = 9.81 m/s2
Technical Terms
• Scalar quantity: A physical quantity which has only magnitude,
is called scalar quantity. Eg: time, mass, density, volume,
distance.
• Vector quantity: A physical quantity which has a direction in
addition to magnitude, is known as vector quantity. Eg: force,
displacement, velocity, acceleration.
• Continuum: A continuous distribution of molecules in a body
without intermolecular space is called the continuum.
Force and its characteristics
• An external agency which tends to change the state of inertia
(rest or motion) of a body or a particle, or the shape of a body.
• SI Unit: Newton (N).
• Characteristics of a force:
i. Magnitude: The length of the vector represents the magnitude of
force.
ii. Direction: The direction of a force can be represented by an
arrowhead.
iii. Line of action: It is the line along which the force acts.
iv. Point of application: It is the point at which the force acts.
Force and its characteristics
• Magnitude: 20 kN
• Direction: 30 with Horizontal
Axis
• Point of Application: Point A
• Line of Axis: Longitudinal Axis
of the Body
Force and its characteristics
• Point Force: A force which is acting at a
fixed point is known as the point force.
• Force System: A system where more
than one force acts on a body or group
of bodies.
Force System
• Classified based on the direction and orientation of the lines of
action of the forces:
1. Coplanar force system
2. Non-coplanar force system
3. Collinear force system
Coplanar Force System
• Lines of action of all forces lie on the same plane.
• Types:
i. Coplanar concurrent force system: Lines of action of coplanar forces pass
through a single point.
ii. Coplanar non-concurrent force system: Lines of action of coplanar forces do
not pass through a single point.
iii. Coplanar parallel force system: Lines of action of coplanar forces are
parallel to each other.
a. Like parallel force system: All the forces act parallel to one another and are in the
same direction.
b. Unlike parallel force system: The forces act parallel to another, but some of the forces
have their line of action in opposite directions.
 Coplanar concurrent force system Like parallel force system

Coplanar non-concurrent force system Unlike parallel force system

Coplanar force systems
Non-Coplanar Force System
• Lines of action of forces lie in different planes.
• Types:
i. Non-coplanar concurrent force system: Lines of actions of forces in
different planes pass through the same point.
ii. Non-coplanar non-concurrent force system: Lines of actions of
forces in different planes do not pass through the same point.
iii. Non-coplanar parallel force system: Lines of actions of
forces in different planes are parallel to each other.
 Non-coplanar Non-coplanar
concurrent force non-concurrent
system force system

Non-coplanar
parallel force system
Non-coplanar force
system
Collinear and Non-Collinear Force
Systems

• Collinear Force System: Lines of

action of two or more forces
coincide with one another.

• Non-Collinear Force
System: Lines of action of two or
more forces do not coincide with
one another.
 Coplanar concurrent force system

Coplanar non-concurrent force system

 Coplanar like parallel force system

Non-coplanar concurrent force system

Non-coplanar non-concurrent force system

Non-coplanar parallel force system

Principle of Transmissibility of Forces
• A force can be transmitted from one point to another point along
the same line of action such that the effect produced by the
force on a body remains unchanged.
• Principle of Superposition of Forces: The net effect
of a system of forces on a body is same as that of the
combined effect of individual forces on the body.

• Principle of Physical Independence of Forces: The

action of a force on a body is not affected by the action
of any other force on the body.
Resolution of a Force
• The process of splitting of a force into its two rectangular
components (horizontal and vertical), without changing its effect
on a body.
Composition of Forces
• The process of combining a number of forces into a single force
such that the net effect produced by the single force is equal to
the algebraic sum of the effects produced by the individual
forces.
• The single force is the resultant force, which produces the
same effect on the body as that produced by the individual
forces acting together.
Sign Convention for Forces
Methods of finding the Resultant
Parallelogram Law of Forces
• If two forces are acting simultaneously on a particle and away
from the particle, with the two adjacent sides of the
parallelogram representing both the magnitude and direction of
forces, the magnitude and direction of the resultant can be
represented by the diagonal of the parallelogram starting from
the common point of the two forces.
• Derivation
Methods of finding the Resultant
Triangle Law
• If two forces acting simultaneously on
a particle can be represented both in
magnitude and direction by the two
sides of a triangle taken in order, then
the magnitude and direction of the
resultant can be represented by the
third side of a triangle, taken in
opposite order.
Methods of finding the Resultant
Polygon Law
• If a number of forces acting on
a particle can be represented
in both magnitude and direction
by the sides of the polygon
taken in order, then the
resultant can be represented in
magnitude and direction by the
closing side of the polygon
taken in the opposite order.
Moment of a Force
• The turning effect produced by a force on a body with respect to
a point or axis.
• The magnitude of the moment is the product of the magnitude
of the force (F) and the perpendicular distance between the line
of action of the force and the point or axis of rotation (Moment
arm - d).
•M=Fxd
• Unit: N m
• Also known as Torque.
 1. If the tendency of a force is to rotate the body in the

Types of clockwise direction, it is said to be a clockwise

moment and is taken positive.

moments 2. If the tendency of a force is to rotate the body in the

anticlockwise direction, it is said to be anticlockwise
moment and is taken negative.
Small force Large force Small moment arm Large moment arm

The magnitude of moment M measures the tendency of the force F to

make the rigid body rotate about a fixed axis directed along M.
It depends on both the magnitude of the force and moment arm.
Varignon’s Theorem of Moments
• The algebraic sum of the moments of
individual forces of a force system
about a point is equal to the moment
of their resultant about the same
point.

The moment about point O of the

resultant of the four forces equals
the sum of the moments about
point O of the individual forces
Derivation
• Let R be the resultant of
forces P1 and P2 and B be
the moment centre. Let d, d1
and d2 be the moment arms
of forces R, P1 and P2,
respectively, from the
moment centre B.
• We need to prove that
Rd = P1d1 + P2d2
Couple
• A system of two forces which are equal
in magnitude, opposite in direction and
have parallel lines of action.
• Both forces create their own moment of
force, but the net moment is independent
of the location of the point considered.
• A couple does not produce any translation (motion in a
straight line).
• It only causes rotation.
Properties of a Couple
i. Two equal and opposite parallel forces are required to form a
couple.
ii. The magnitude of the moment of the couple = product of the
magnitude of one of the forces and moment arm
(perpendicular distance between the two forces).
iii. Resultant of the forces of the couple is zero.
 Types of a Couple

Clockwise Anticlockwise
couple couple
(Positive) (Negative)
Difference between Moment and Couple

Moment Couple
The measure of turning effect of a Two equal and opposite parallel
force about a point. forces, each force producing its
own moment.
Moment of a Force = Force x Moment of a Couple = Magnitude
Perpendicular distance from the of Force x Perpendicular distance
force to the point. between the forces.
Resultant of a Coplanar Concurrent
Force System
Steps to solve problems:
• Calculate the algebraic sum of all the forces acting in the x-direction (σ 𝐹𝑥 )
and in the y-direction (σ 𝐹𝑦 ).
• Determine the magnitude of the resultant using the formula,

R= ෍ 𝐹𝑥2 + ෍ 𝐹𝑦2

• Determine the direction of the resultant using the formula,

σ 𝐹𝑦
𝜃= tan−1
σ 𝐹𝑥
Resultant of a Coplanar Non-
Concurrent Force System
Steps to solve problems:
1. The magnitude, direction and position of resultant must be determined.
2. Calculate the algebraic sum of all the forces acting in the x-direction (σ 𝐹𝑥 ) and
in the y-direction (σ 𝐹𝑦 ).

3. Determine the magnitude of the resultant using the formula, R = σ 𝐹𝑥2 + σ 𝐹𝑦2
−1 σ 𝐹𝑦
4. Determine the direction of the resultant using the formula, 𝜃 = tan σ 𝐹𝑥

5. The position of resultant can be determined by using the Varignon’s theorem or

σ𝑀 σ𝑀 σ𝑀
using the formulae 𝑑 = , x-intercept = σ and y-intercept = σ
𝑅 𝐹𝑦 𝐹𝑥