• Moment of Force about an axis

• The effectiveness of a force as regards to its

tendency to produce rotation of a body about an
axis or a point is called moment of the force.
• It is measured by the product of the magnitude of
the force and arm of the force.
• Arm of force, or moment arm is the
perpendicular distance of the line of action of the
force from the moment centre.
• Moment centre is the point about which moment
of a force is measured.

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• Moment of Force about an axis ...
• The line perpendicular to the plane containing the
force and passing through the moment centre is called
axis of the moment.
• Moment of force will be expressed in (Nm).
• Vector qty
• Depending upon the relative position of the force and
moment centre, the moment of a force will be either
clockwise or counter clockwise.
• The sense of moment of a force is taken as clockwise
when the force rotates or tends to rotate the arm of
force in clockwise direction about the moment centre.
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• Moment of a force will be maximum when the
line of action of the force is perpendicular to
the line joining the moment centre and point of
application of the force.

• Moment of a force will be zero when,

– (i) the force acts at the moment centre itself and
– (ii) when the line of action of the force passes
through the moment centre.

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• Varignon’s theorem of moments. - principle
of moments

• French mathematician Varignon (1654-1722)

•
• states that the moment of a force about any
axis is equal to the sum of moments of its
components about that axis.

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• Consider a force F acting at a point A. F1 and F2
are the components of F along any two directions.
• The moment of F about an axis through an
arbitrary point O is F x d, where d is the arm of
force F.
• d1 and d2 are the arm of forces of F1 and F2,
respectively.
• Sum of moments of the components F1 and F2,
about O ; F1. d1 + F2. d2
• It is to be proved that F x d = F1 x d1, + F2 x d2.

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• AE = AG + GE ; = AG + BH ; = AG + BD cos 2
• = AG + AC cos  2
• AD cos  = AB cos 1 + AC cos  2.
• F cos  = F 1 cos  1 + F2 cos 2.
• Multiplying by OA.
• F x OA cos  = F 1 x OA cos  1 + F2 x OA cos 2
• F x d = F1 x d 1 + F2 x d2

• Moment of F about O = moment of F1 about O +

moment of F2 about O.
• Moment of given force about any point = Sum of
moments of its components about the same point

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• Calculate the moment of the given force F = 10 kN
about point O

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• Resolving along and perpendicular to incline plane
• Mo = (10 cos 60) x 0 + (10 sin 60) x 5 = 43.30 kNm.
• Resolving vertical and horizontally
• Mo= 10 sin 80 x5 cos 20- 10 cos 80 x 5 sin 20
• = 43.30 kNm.

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• Coplanar non concurrent forces

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• Resultant of coplanar non concurrent forces.

• Magnitude and direction of resultant of a number of

coplanar concurrent forces, can be obtained by
resolving the forces along two mutually perpendicular
directions and then finding the resultant of the sum of
components of the forces.
• Resultant will be acting at the point of intersection of
the concurrent forces.
• Magnitude and direction of non concurrent forces can
also be obtained by resolving the forces along two
perpendicular directions.

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• Resultant of coplanar non concurrent forces…

• To obtain the position of resultant force, equate the

sum of moments off all the forces in the plane, about
any point in the plane, with the moment of their
resultant about the same point.

• If the sum of moments of all the forces about a point

is clockwise, then the position of resultant with
respect to the point should be such that the moment of
resultant about that point must also be clockwise.

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• Determine the resultant of the system of forces
10kN 10kN
20kN 20kN

4m 6m 7m

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 10kN 10kN
20kN 20kN

4m 6m 7m

• Since there is no horizontal or inclined force,

•  Fh = 0;
•  Fv = 0; -10+20 -20 -10 = -20 kN
• Resultant R = [( Fx)2 + ( Fy)2]1/2
• R = 20 kN ;  = 90
• Inclination of resultant with positive X axis,
• R= 180 +  = 270°
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• Let the distance of line of action of this force from
end A be x,
• then  M A = R. x
•  MA = 10 x 0 - 20 x 4 + 20 x 10 + 10 x 17
• = - 80 + 140 + 170 = 290 kNm c.w.
• Moment of R about A should be clockwise,
– (for this R must be towards right of A)
•  MA = R . x
• x = 230/20 = 14.5 m
R = 20 kN

x = 14.5m
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• Six forces of magnitude 10 kN, 12 kN, 15 kN, 12 kN,
16 kN and 10 kN are acting along the sides of a
regular hexagon of side 2 m in order.
• Find the resultant force and its direction.
• Find also the position of the resultant with respect to
the centre of the hexagon.
12 kN

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•  Fh = 10 + 12 cos 60 -15cos 60 -12- 16cos60 +
10cos60 = - 6.5 kN
•  Fv= 0+12 sin 60 + 15 sin 60 + 0 + 16 sin 60 -10 sin
60 = 0.866 kN
• Resultant force R = 6.56 kN
•  = 7.59
• Inclination of resultant R=180-= 180 - 7.59= 172.41
• Sum of moments of all the forces about the centre of
hexagon,
•  M = = - (10 + 12 + 15 + 12 + 16 + 10) x 2 sin 60
= - 75 x 2 sin 60 = 129.90 (ccw)

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• Let the distance of resultant force from the centre be
x.
• moment of resultant about the centre = R .x,
• Equating these two moments,
• R . x = 129 .90
• X = 19.80 m

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• Parallel forces and couples.
• forces whose lines of action are parallel to each other
- parallel forces.
• Like parallel and unlike parallel forces

F1 F2
• Clockwise couple & anticlockwise couple

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• The resultant of two unlike parallel forces is zero.
Hence these forces cannot be replaced by another
single force.
• Such two forces having the same magnitude,
parallel line of action, and opposite sense are said
to form a couple.
• The plane in which the forces act is called the
plane of the couple.
• The distance between the line of action of forces
is arm of couple.
• moment of a couple = product of the magnitude
of one of the forces and the arm of couple.

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• Properties of force couple
 two forces constituting a couple are equal in magnitude
and opposite in direction. Therefore, the sum of forces
of a couple is zero.
 the action of a couple on a rigid body will not be
changed if its arm is turned in the plane of couple
through any angle about one of its ends
 without changing the action on a body; a given couple
can be replaced by another one with different forces
with a different arm, provided the moments of the two
couples are equal.
 Several couples in one plane can be replaced by a
single couple acting in the same plane such that the
moment of this single couple is equal to the algebraic
sum of the moments of the given couples.

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• Properties of force couple…

F Q d

d1

F x d = Q x d1

F x d + Q d1 = F x d + Q1 x d
= (F +Q1) d where Q1 is Q1 x d = Q x d1

Q1 = Q d1 / d

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• ABCD is a square whose side length is 2 m. Forces of
magnitude 10,20,80 and 50 N act along AB, BC, CD
and DA respectively. Forces of magnitude 50 2 N and
20 2 N act along the diagonal AC and DB
respectively. Show that they are equivalent to a
couple and calculate the moment of this couple.

80 N

2m

50 N

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• Resolving the forces horizontally,
• Fh = 10 - 80 + 50 2 x cos 45 + 20 2 x cos 45
• =0
• lly Fv = 0
• Resultant R= 0
• Taking moments of forces about A,
•  MA = (20 2 COS 45) x 2 - 80x2 -20x2
• = 40 - 160 - 40
• = - 160 N m = 160 N m c.c.w.
• Since the resultant force is zero and the
moment is not equal to zero, the system is
equivalent to a couple of moment 160 Nm
c.c.w.
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• Resolution of a given force into force acting at a
given point and a couple.

• force F acting at A can be resolved into a force acting

at B together with a couple of magnitude F x d

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• Reduction of system of coplanar forces acting
on a rigid body into a single force and single
couple

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• Reduction of system of coplanar forces acting
on a rigid body into a single force and single
couple…..

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• Replace the force acting at A 10 kN by a force
and couple at
• (i) B and
• (ii) at C. 10 kN

4m 3m

B
C A

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• Moment at B = -10 * 3 = 30 kNm
• When force acts at B, Fv = 10 and Mb =0

10 kN

4m 3m

B
C B

• So a counter clockwise moment have to be

applied at B 30kNm

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• Moment at C = 10 * 4 = 40 kNm
• When force acts at C, Fv = 10 and MC =0

10 kN

4m 3m

B
C B

• So a clockwise moment have to be applied at

C 40kNm

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• A rigid bar AB is acted upon by forces as
shown in fig.
• Reduce the force system to
• (i) a single force
• (ii) force moment system at A, and
• (iii) force moment system at D.
6 kN 8 kN

4m 4m 3m

8 kN 12 kN
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• Fv = 6 kN
• R = 6 kN
• Case-1
• Let resultant be at a distance of x from A
• Ma = 6 x 4 + 8 x 8 -12 x 11 = -44 kNm ccw
• Moment of resultant about A = 6 . x
• 6x = 44 R = 6 kN

• x = 7.33 m
x = 7.33 m

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• Case -2 – force moment system at A
• Ma = 44 kNm ccw; resultant is 6 kN upwards

• Case -3 – force moment system at D

• Md = 4 kNm cw; resultant is 6 kN upwards

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• Rigid Body Equilibrium
• A rigid body will remain in equilibrium provided
– Sum of all the external forces acting on the body is
equal to zero, and
– Sum of the moments of the external forces about a
point is equal to zero

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