RIGID BODIES AND EQUILIBRIUM

Topic 1: Torque
Topic 2: Simple Machines

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 EQUILIBRIUM
• Consider these situations:
1. A book resting on a table
2. A ball rolling with constant velocity on a frictionless surface
3. The constant rotating blades of a fan
4. The wheel of a vehicle travelling along a straight path at constant
speed

• For each of these situations, for the objects involved,

– the linear momentum, P of its centre of mass is constant
– the angular momentum, L about its centre of mass or any other point is
constant

• These objects are in equilibrium

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 EQUILIBRIUM OF A RIGID BODY
In contrast to the forces on a particle, the forces on a rigid-body are not usually
concurrent (focuses at one point) and may cause rotation of the body (due to
the moments created by the forces).

Focus = on static equilibrium & rotational equilibrium

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Forces on a particle Forces on a rigid body
 For a rigid body to be in STATIC equilibrium, the net force as well as the net
moment about any arbitrary point O must be equal to zero.

ΣFnet = 0 (when the body is in translational eq = constant P)

Στnet = 0 (when the body is in rotational eq = constant L)

 ROTATIONAL EQUILIBRIUM???

 Force Classifications (revise)

External Forces: applied forces which are typically known or prescribed
(e.g., forces due to cables, springs, gravity, etc.).
Reaction Forces: constraining forces at supports, intended to prevent
motion.

 The process of solving rigid body equilibrium problems

 First create an idealized model – given in exam question!
 Then draw a free-body diagram showing all the external
(active and reactive) forces.
 Finally, apply the equations of equilibrium to solve for any unknowns. 4
 Free Body Diagram (FBD)

 A graphical sketch of the system showing all

external/reaction forces and moments applied to the
system.

 Benefits:
1)Provides a catalog of all force/moments acting on the particle
2)Provides a graphical display of known information
(force/moment magnitudes, directions and line of
actions)
3)Provides a record of the geometric dimensions needed for
establishing moments of the forces

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Application: Example 2
A steel beam is used to support roof joints. How can we determine the support
reactions at A & B?

Idealized Model Actual Free body diagram

W
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pin support

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 Second Condition of Equilibrium
There is another condition involving rotation that must also be satisfied.

Consider the following situation:

F1

F2

If F1 = F2, the sum of the forces in both the x- and y- directions = 0

BUT… Is it really in equilibrium?? YES!!
Is the object static?? NO!!

IT WILL SPIN AROUND AND AROUND…

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• Moment arm – determines
effectiveness of a given force
in causing rotational motion.

• The rotation of an object is dependant on both the force and the

distance from the pivot (also known as the fulcrum).

• If line of action passes through the axis of rotation, the moment

arm is ZERO.

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Moment (or Torque)
Consider an object subjected to a force F, this force
will cause a turning action to happen about a point O.

Moment is “a measure of the

tendency of a force to cause
rotation”

If the distance from the point O to the force is

distance ‘d’, then:
M = moment (N.m) or torque 
M or τ = F X r F = the force (Newton – N)
r = lever arm, the perpendicular distance from
= Fr sinθ the point of rotation to the force (metre)
θ = angle from the point of rotation to the force
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• Example:
exert force F at increasing distance from the centre of a
large wheel, it becomes easier to rotate the wheel at its
centre.

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 About Torques and Moments
We call the torques that tend to cause clockwise rotation negative.

- ve

And,

We call the torques that tend to cause counterclockwise rotation positive.

+ ve

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 The Two Conditions for Equilibrium
The two conditions for equilibrium of a rigid object under the action of
coplanar forces are:

1) The first, or force condition:

The vector sum of all forces acting on a body
must be zero
Fx = 0 ; and Fy = 0
where the plane of the coplanar forces is the xy-plane

2) The second, or torque condition:

The sum of all the torques (or moments) acting
on the object must be zero:
 = 0

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 Sense / Sign Convention

+ ─
Rotation
Types of Load
1. Point Load
The load is applied at a specific point on a body
e.g. a table leg on a floor

2. Uniformly Distributed Load

This is a load that is equally spread out over a surface with no single point of
application

3. Linearly Distributed Load

A load that gradually increases over a depth

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EXAMPLES

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Example 1:

Calculate the maximum weight of the boy dangling to

ensure stability of the system.

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Example 2:

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Example 3:

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Example 4:

A 10-kg metal boom is pulled at point B as shown in the

diagram. Find the tension of the rope, and the
components of the force at point A.

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Example 5:
A square block has four forces acting on it as shown in the diagram. Each
force has strength of 100 lb.
a) Determine the resultant torque due to all the forces with respect to Point
O. 
b) Determine a resultant force – magnitude, direction (acting at the base) which
would be equivalent to the four forces shown below.

ANS:
a) 407.2 ft-lb
b) R = 142 lb
θ = 138.5 degrees

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 Answer

5. a) (100 lb cos 45)x 6 ft - (100 lb cos 50) x 4 ft - (100 lb sin 50) x 6 ft + (100
lb x 3 ft) + (100 lb x 4 ft)
= 407.2 ft-lb

b) Rx = -100 lb cos 45 + 100 lb cos 50 - 100 lb

Ry = +100 lb sin 45 - 100 lb sin 50 + 100 lb
R =  square root [ Rx2 + Ry2] = 142 lb
Tan(angle) = Ry/Rx => angle = 138 degrees 26
 Simple Machines
• Devices that transmits application of force into useful work.

• Study of machines and their efficiency is essential for the

productive use of energy – industrial target.
• Familiarize with: pulley systems, levers, inclined planes, and
other machines.
• Input work – done by single force
• Output work – single force

• In these operations:
– work is supplied to machine
– work is done against friction
– output work is done by machine
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• Conservation of energy:

Input work = work against friction + output work

• Work performed by machine (output work) can never be

greater than work supplied to it. Why??
• Smaller friction loss = better result

• Efficiency of machine:

e = work output / work input x 100%

= power output / power input x 100%

(value is between 0 to 1; more commonly expressed by

percentage)
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General Example:

A 45 kW motor winds a cable

around a drum while lifting a
2000 kg mass to a height of 6
meters in a time of 3 seconds. Determine:
a)the power output of the system
b)efficiency of the motor
c) how much power is done against friction
force.
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 Mechanical Advantage
• Operation of
a general
machine:

• Actual mechanical advantage = amount of utilized force:

MA = output force Fo / input force Fi

• Actual / theoretical value

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• Input force Fi acts through a distance of si performs
useful work Fisi
• Ideal mechanical advantage = assumes no loss due to
friction; therefore:
Work input = work output
Fisi = Foso
Thus,
Mechanical advantage:
MA = Fo/Fi ; MI = si/so
Efficiency for a general simple machine:
e = MA / MI
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1) Lever
• Oldest, most useful
machine.
• Consists of any rigid bar pivoted at a certain
point called fulcrum.
• Input force or torque = output force or torque:
Firi = Foro
Thus, MA = Fo/Fi ; MI = ri/ro

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Example:
An iron bar 1.2 m long is used to lift a 60 kg crate. The
bar is used as a lever as shown in the figure. The
fulcrum is placed 30 cm from the crate. Assuming no
friction loss in the system, calculate the ideal
mechanical advantage (MI), and the input force
required.

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2) Torque/Pulley
• Belt drive:
• Work is done by
transmitting torque from one drive to
another.

• Torque transmission – from driving pulley to

outward pulley; no friction loss.
MA = τo/τi = Foro/Firi ; MI = ri/ro
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Find the Ideal mechanical advantage, MI of these
system of pulleys.

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 Assuming no friction loss in the system...

(Fi) Efficiency?

(Fo)

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3) Inclined Plane
• Constant acceleration.

• Weight (W) must move

through distance s
to reach height h:
Fis = Wh
where: Fi is input force and W is output force

MA = W/Fi ; MI = s/h
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Example:

An 88 kg crate of bottles is to be raised to a

loading platform 2 m above the ground. The
length of the ramp is 4 m, and the coefficient
of static friction of is 0.3. Calculate the ideal
and actual mechanical advantage, and the
efficiency of the system.
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END

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Application of diagram: Example 1
A 200 kg platform is suspended off an oil rig. How do we determine the force
reactions at the joints and the forces in the cables? How are the idealized model
and the free body diagram used to do this? Which diagram is the idealized
model?

(a) 44
Idealized Model Free body diagram (FBD)
Idealized model is almost
similar to FBD. FBD replaces
all the joints and pictures such
as rope, wall, etc with arrows.
FBD also add angles and
notations.

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