Chapter 4 Force System

Resultants
 APPLICATIONS

What is the net effect of the two forces on the wheel?

MOMENT OF A FORCE - SCALAR FORMULATION

The moment of a force about a point provides a measure of the

tendency for rotation (sometimes called a torque).
 MOMENT OF A FORCE - SCALAR FORMULATION
(continued)
In the 2-D case, the magnitude of the moment is Mo = F d

As shown, d is the perpendicular distance from point O to the

line of action of the force.

In 2-D, the direction of MO is either clockwise or

counter-clockwise depending on the tendency for rotation.
 MOMENT OF A FORCE - SCALAR FORMULATION
(continued)
F
a
b For example, MO = F d and the
O direction is counter-clockwise.
d
Often it is easier to determine MO by using the components of F
as shown. Fy F

Fx
b a
O
Using this approach, MO = (FY a) – (FX b). Note the different
signs on the terms! The typical sign convention for a moment in
2-D is that counter-clockwise is considered positive. We can
determine the direction of rotation by imagining the body pinned
at O and deciding which way the body would rotate because of
the force.
 CROSS PRODUCT

In general, the cross product of two vectors A and B results in

another vector C , i.e., C = A  B. The magnitude and direction
of the resulting vector can be written as
C = A  B = A B sin  UC
Here UC is the unit vector perpendicular to both A and B
vectors as shown (or to the plane containing the
A and B vectors).
Laws of Operation
 CROSS PRODUCT
(continued)
The right hand rule is a useful tool for determining the direction of
the vector resulting from a cross product.
For example: i  j = k
Note that a vector crossed into itself is zero, e.g., i  i = 0
 CROSS PRODUCT
(continued)

Each component can be determined using 2  2 determinants.

 MOMENT OF A FORCE – VECTOR FORMULATION

Moments in 3-D can be calculated using scalar (2-D) approach but

it can be difficult and time consuming. Thus, it is often easier to
use a mathematical approach called the vector cross product.
Using the vector cross product, MO = r  F .
Here r is the position vector from point O to any point on the line
of action of F.
 MOMENT OF A FORCE – VECTOR FORMULATION
(continued)
So, using the cross product, a
moment can be expressed as

By expanding the above equation using 2  2 determinants (see

Section 4.2), we get (sample units are N - m or lb - ft)
MO = (r y FZ - rZ Fy) i - (r x Fz - rz Fx ) j + (rx Fy - ry Fx ) k

The physical meaning of the above equation becomes evident by

considering the force components separately and using a 2-D
formulation.
 EXAMPLE #1
Given: A 400 N force is
applied to the frame
and  = 20°.
Find: The moment of the
force at A.

Plan:
1) Resolve the force along x and y axes.
2) Determine MA using scalar analysis.
EXAMPLE #1 (continued)
 EXAMPLE # 2

Given: a = 3 in, b = 6 in and c = 2 in.

Find: Moment of F about point O.

o Plan:
1) Find rOA.
2) Determine MO = rOA  F .
 MOMENT ABOUT AN AXIS

With the force F, a person is The force F is creating the

creating the moment MA. moment MO. How much of
What portion of MA is used in MO acts to unscrew the
turning the socket? pipe?
 SCALAR ANALYSIS
Recall that the moment of a force about any point A is MA= F dA
where dA is the perpendicular (or shortest) distance from the point
to the force’s line of action. This concept can be extended to find
the moment of a force about an axis.

In the figure above, the moment about the y-axis would

be My= 20 (0.3) = 6 N·m. However, this calculation is
not always trivial and vector analysis may be preferable.
 VECTOR ANALYSIS

Our goal is to find the moment of F

(the tendency to rotate the body)
about the axis a’-a.

First compute the moment of F about any arbitrary point O

that lies on the a’a axis using the cross product.
MO = r  F
Now, find the component of MO along the axis a’-a using the
dot product.
Ma = u a • MO
 VECTOR ANALYSIS (continued)

Ma can also be obtained as

The above equation is also called the

triple scalar product.

In the this equation,

ua represents the unit vector along the axis a’-a axis,
r is the position vector from any point on the a’-a axis to any
point A on the line of action of the force, and
F is the force vector.
 EXAMPLE
Given: A force is applied to
A the tool to open a gas valve.
Find: The magnitude of the
B
moment of this force about
the z axis of the value.

Plan:
1) We need to use Mz = u • (r  F).
2) Note that u = 1 k.
3) The vector r is the position vector from A to B.
4) Force F is already given in Cartesian vector form.
A

B
 MOMENT OF A COUPLE

A torque or moment of 12 N · m is required to rotate the wheel.

Which one of the two grips of the wheel above will require less
force to rotate the wheel?
 APPLICATIONS
(continued)

The crossbar lug wrench is being used to loosen a lug net. What is
the effect of changing dimensions a, b, or c on the force that must
be applied?
 MOMENT OF A COUPLE

A couple is defined as two

parallel forces with the same
magnitude but opposite in
direction separated by a
perpendicular distance d.

The moment of a couple is defined as

MO = F d (using a scalar analysis) or as
MO = r  F (using a vector analysis).
Here r is any position vector from the line of action of –F
to the line of action of F.
MOMENT OF A COUPLE
(continued)

The net external effect of a couple is that

the net force equals zero and the magnitude
of the net moment equals F d

Since the moment of a couple depends

only on the distance between the forces,
the moment of a couple is a free vector. It
can be moved anywhere on the body and
have the same external effect on the body.

Moments due to couples can be added using

the same rules as adding any vectors.
 EXAMPLE - SCALAR APPROACH

Given: Two couples act on the

beam and d equals 8 ft.
Find: The resultant couple

Plan:
1) Resolve the forces in x and y directions so they can
be treated as couples.
2) Determine the net moment due to the two couples.
EXAMPLE - SCALAR APPROACH
 EXAMPLE – VECTOR APPROACH
Given: A force couple acting on
the rod.
Find: The couple moment
A acting on the rod in
Cartesian vector
notation.
B
 EXAMPLE – VECTOR APPROACH

B
EQUIVALENT SYSTEMS, RESULTANTS OF FORCE AND
COUPLE SYSTEM, & FURTHER REDUCTION OF A
FORCE AND COUPLE SYSTEM

What is the resultant effect on the person’s hand

when the force is applied in four different ways ?
 APPLICATIONS (continued)

Several forces and a couple

moment are acting on this
vertical section of an I-beam.

| | ??
Can you replace them with just
one force and one couple
moment at point O that will
have the same external effect?
 AN EQUIVALENT SYSTEM

When a number of forces and couple moments are acting on a

body, it is easier to understand their overall effect on the body if
they are combined into a single force and couple moment having
the same external effect
The two force and couple systems are called equivalent systems
since they have the same external effect on the body.
 MOVING A FORCE ON ITS LINE OF ACTION

Moving a force from A to O, when both points are on the

vectors’ line of action, does not change the external effect.
Hence, a force vector is called a sliding vector. (But the
internal effect of the force on the body does depend on where
the force is applied).
 MOVING A FORCE OFF OF ITS LINE OF ACTION

Moving a force from point A to O (as shown above) requires

creating an additional couple moment. Since this new couple
moment is a “free” vector, it can be applied at any point P on the
body.
RESULTANTS OF A FORCE AND
COUPLE SYSTEM

When several forces and couple moments

act on a body, you can move each force
and its associated couple moment to a
common point O.
Now you can add all the forces and
couple moments together and find one
resultant force-couple moment pair.
 RESULTANT OF A FORCE AND COUPLE SYSTEM
(continued)

If the force system lies in the x-y plane (the 2-D case), then the
reduced equivalent system can be obtained using the following
three scalar equations.
 FURTHER REDUCTION OF A FORCE AND COUPLE
SYSTEM

= =

If FR and MRO are perpendicular to each other, then the system

can be further reduced to a single force, FR , by simply moving
FR from O to P.
In three special cases, concurrent, coplanar, and parallel systems
of forces, the system can always be reduced to a single force.
 EXAMPLE #1
Given: A 2-D force and couple
system as shown.
Find: The equivalent resultant
force and couple
moment acting at A

Plan:
1) Sum all the x and y components of the forces to find FRA.
2) Find and sum all the moments resulting from moving each
force to A.
3) Shift the FRA to a distance d such that d = MRA/FRy
 EXAMPLE #1
(continued)
FR
Given: A 2-D force and couple
system as shown.
Find: The equivalent resultant
force and couple moment
acting at A.
REDUCTION OF A SIMPLE DISTRIBUTED LOADING

A distributed load on the

beam exists due to the
weight of the lumber.

Is it possible to reduce this

force system to a single
force that will have the
same external effect?
If yes, how?
 APPLICATIONS
(continued)

The sandbags on the beam create a distributed load.

How can we determine a single equivalent resultant

force and its location?
DISTRIBUTED LOADING
In many situations a surface area
of a body is subjected to a
distributed load. Such forces are
caused by winds, fluids, or the
weight of items on the body’s
surface.
We will analyze the most common
case of a distributed pressure
loading. This is a uniform load
along one axis of a flat rectangular
body.
In such cases, w is a function of x
and has units of force per length.
MAGNITUDE OF RESULTANT FORCE
LOCATION OF THE RESULTANT FORCE
LOCATION OF THE RESULTANT FORCE (continued)
EXAMPLES
 Given: The loading on the
beam as shown.
Find: The equivalent force
and its location
from point A.

Plan:
1) Consider the trapezoidal loading as two separate loads
x and one triangular).
(one rectangular
2) Find FR and for each of these two distributed loads.
3) Determine the overall FR and for the three point loadings
 EXAMPLE #2
Given: The building slab has
four columns. F1 and
F2 = 0.
o
Find: The equivalent
resultant force and
couple moment at the
origin O. Also find the
location (x,y) of the
single equivalent
resultant force.