Engineering Mechanics-I:

Statics
By: Engr. Ahmed Zaheer

Mechanical Engineering Department

University of Engineering & Technology, Taxila, Pakistan
 Lecture-2:

Force Systems
Contents
Contents
• Vectors
• Force Systems

• Resultant of Forces (Geometric Methods)

• Resultant of Forces (Algebraic Methods)

• Forces in 2D
• Forces in 3D
• Force directed along a Line

• Dot Product
Vectors:
A Review
Vectors
• Vector is a quantity that as:
• Magnitude
• How much?
• Length, Distance etc.

• Direction
• Where is it going?
• North, West etc.
• Angles

• Examples:
• Force, Velocity, Acceleration, Displacement

• Negative of a Vector means its

direction is reversed.
Vector Types
• Free Vector
• Action is not confined to a unique line in space
• Example:- Translational motion of a rigid body may be defined by the
displacement vector of its any point

 Sliding Vector
 Represented by a unique line of action in space but not a unique point of application
 Example:- An external force vector acting on a rigid body, which may be applied at
any point along its line of action
 Fixed vector
 A unique point of application is specified
 Example:- The action of a force on a deformable body must be
specified by a fixed vector at the point of application
Vector Operations:
Addition & Subtraction
• Vector addition (& subtraction) does not follow algebraic rules if the
vectors are not co-linear.

• However, it is Commutative i.e.

• A+B=B+A
• A-B=B-A

• Can be done in several ways: Magnitude: V ≠ V 1 + V2

• Head-to-Tail Method
• Parallelogram Rule (polygon rule)
• Trigonometry
• Algebraic Methods (resolving vectors into rectangular components)
Vector Operations:
Addition & Subtraction (contd.)
Vector Addition Vector Subtraction
Vector Operations (contd.)
Addition & Subtraction
(co-linear vectors) Scalar Multiplication & Division
Force Systems
Force
• Agent of change that can cause a change in an object’s state of rest
or motion.

• Vector
• Units: N, lb, dyne, kips
• F = ma

• Force can cause:

• External effects (reactive forces)
• Internal effects (stress & deformation)
Line of Action
• Geometric representation of
how a vector is applied.

• Straight line through the point at

which the Force is applied in the
same direction as that force.
Transmissibility
A force may be applied at any point on its given line of
action without altering the resultant effects of the force external to
the rigid body on which it acts

The force P acting on the rigid plate may be applied at A

or at B or at any other point on its line of action, and the
net external effects of P on the bracket will not change
Concurrent Forces
• Two or more forces are concurrent at
a point if their lines of action intersect
at that point.

• Forces lie in the same plane but applied

at different points
(using Transmissibility principle)
Resultant Force
• Combined effect of multiple forces on a body / system.
Resultant of Forces:

Calculations using
Geometric Methods
Head-to-Tail Method
• Draw vectors to scale on paper, joining their heads and tails, and
finally drawing the Resultant from beginning to end.

• Straight-forward geometric method.

• Disadvantages:
• Scaling
• Difficult to draw multiple vectors
• Skill in geometry required
Parallelogram Method
• Draw the vectors such that a parallelogram forms.
The diagonal of the vectors forms the Resultant.

• Derived from Head-to-Tail Rule.

• Disadvantages:
• Scaling
• Difficult to draw multiple vectors
• Skill in geometry required
Polygon Method
• Parallelogram method when it is applied to more than two vectors.
• Follows the Associative property of addition i.e.:
Trigonometry
• Derived from Parallelogram method.
• Utilizes:
• Formulae of trigonometry (laws of Sine & Cosine)
• Properties of triangles
• Knowledge of geometry (similar & alternate angles, straight lines etc.)
Trigonometry (contd.)
• Law of Cosine:

• Law of Sine:
Example-1
• Find the resultant force acting on the hook, such that:
• F1 = 80 N
• F2 = 60 N
• Θ = 120°

• Solution:
• Magnitude: F = 72 N
• Direction: Angle = 74°
(measure from x-axis)
Example-2
• A resultant force F is necessary to hold the balloon in place. Find the
forces in the tethering cables AB & AC, such that:
• F = 3500 N
• Θ1 = 30°
• Θ2 = 40°

• Solution:
• F1 (AC) = 2394 N
• F2 (AB) = 1862 N
Example-3
• Determine the magnitude of components
the 600 lb force along u & v axes.

• Solution:
• F1 (along u-axis) = 1039 lb
• F2 (along u-axis) = 600 lb
Example-4
• On a gear tooth, the component of force F
acting along line aa is required to be 30 lb.
Determine the magnitude of F and its
component along line bb.

• Solution:
• F = 19.58 lb
• Fb = 26.38 lb
Example-5
• A barge is pulled by two tugboats.
If the net force exerted by the tugboats
is a 25 kN directed along the axis of the
barge, determine:
a) Tension in each of the ropes for a = 45o
b) Value of a for which the tension in
Rope-2 is minimum.

• Solution:
• T1 = 18.3 kN; T2 = 12.94 kN
• T2 = 12.5 kN; a = 60o
Resultant of Forces:

Calculations using
Algebraic Methods
Components of a Vector
• A vector can be broken down into its components.
• This process is the reverse of the Resultant Vector i.e. breaking down
an established vector into its individual parts along established
frames of reference (axes).
• The sum of the vector components results in the original vector.
Components of a Vector (contd.)

(a) V1 & V2 are components of V in the direction 1 & 2

(b) Vx & Vy are components of V in x & y direction
(c )Vx΄ & Vy΄ are components of V in x΄ & y΄ direction
Rectangular Components of Vector
• Rectangular Components:
Components of a vector which are
perpendicular (i.e. at 90°) to each other.
Cartesian Coordinates of a Vector
• Expressing vectors in the Cartesian Coordinate System i.e.
XYZ coordinates.
Unit Vector
• A UNIT VECTOR has:
• Magnitude of 1
• No Units
• Points in the direction of its parent vector

• XYZ-Axes have Unit Vectors: i, j, k; such that:

• i points along the x-axis
• j points along the y-axis
• k points along the z-axis
2D Forces
Rectangular Components of 2D Vector
• 2D vectors are easier to analyze.

• Magnitude & Direction

Vector - solid line

Components – dashed lines
Rectangular Components of 2D Vector:
Resultant Vector
• Projections of Vectors
• Resultant of a system of vectors can
be found by
adding the PROJECTIONS
of all vectors along different axes.

• Projection = Shadow
Rectangular Components of 2D Vector:
Resultant Vector (contd.)
• Projections of Vectors
Projection of F2
on y-axis
Projection of F2
on x-axis

Projection of F1
on y-axis Projection of F1
on x-axis
Rectangular Components of 2D Vector:
Resultant Vector (contd.)
• Resultant Vector

• Scalar Components of Resultant

Resultant Force:
2D Cartesian Components
Resultant Force:
2D Cartesian Components (contd.)
Resultant Force:
2D Cartesian Components (contd.)
Resultant Force:
2D Cartesian Components (contd.)

• Magnitude

• Direction
Unconventional Frame of Reference
• Due to complex nature of engineering problems following should be
kept in mind:

Rectangular components are not always horizontal and vertical

Angles need not be measured counterclockwise from the x-axis

The origin of coordinates need not be on the line of action of a

force
Unconventional Frame of Reference (contd.)
Unconventional Frame of Reference (contd.)
Unit Vector
• A vector V may be expressed mathematically by multiplying its
magnitude V by a vector n whose magnitude is 1 and whose direction
coincides with that of V.
The vector n is called a unit vector i.e. V=Vn

• n = V/V
V = Vx i + Vy j

V x i V y j
n= n = nx i  ny j
V x2 V y2
Example-1
• Find the resultant of
the given forces.

• Solution:
• F = {17i + 3.5j} kN
• F = 17.2 kN
• Θ = 12°
Example-2
• Find the resultant of
the given forces.

• Solution:
• F = {-162i - 521j} N
• F = 546 N
• Θ = 73° (253° from x-axis)
Example-3
• The ratio of the lift force L to the drag force D for the simple airfoil is
10. If the lift force on a short section of the airfoil is 50 lb, compute
the
magnitude of the resultant force R and the angle which it makes with
the horizontal.

• Solution:
• R = {5i + 50j} lb
• R = 50.25 lb
• Θ = 84.3°
Example-4
• The t-component of the force F is known to be 75 N. Determine the n-
component and the magnitude of F.

• Solution:
• Fn = 63 N
• F = {-63n + 75t} N
• F = 98 N
Example-5
• A small probe P is gently forced against the circular surface with a
vertical force F as shown. Determine the n- and t-components of this
force as functions of the horizontal position s.

• Solution:
𝐹. 𝑟 2 −𝑠 2 𝐹.𝑠
• 𝑭= − 𝒏 + 𝒕
𝑟 𝑟
3D Forces
Rectangular Components of 3D Vector
• Frame of Reference: XYZ Coordinate System

• Magnitude of Vector can be found using

Pythagoras’ Theorem.
Direction of 3D Vector

• Coordinate Direction Angles: For defining the direction

of a vector.
• Angle α (alpha)
• Angle β (beta)
• Angle γ (gamma)

𝟎 ≤ 𝒄𝒐𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆 ≤ 𝟏𝟖𝟎𝟎

Direction of 3D Vector (contd.)

𝟎 ≤ 𝒄𝒐𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆 ≤ 𝟏𝟖𝟎𝟎

Direction of 3D Vector (contd.)
• Direction of a Cartesian Vector
can also be specified using:
Transverse & Azimuth Angles
• Θ = Transverse Angle
• Φ = Azimuth Angle
Unit Vector
Unit Vector (contd.)
Resultant Vector
• Resultant Vector

• Resultant Force
Example-1
• Express the force F as a Cartesian vector. Find its unit vector &
coordinate angles.

• Solution:
• F = {35.4i – 35.4j + 86.6k} lb
• u = 0.354i – 0.354j + 0.866k
• α = 69°; β = 111°; γ = 30°
Example-2
• Find the Resultant Force acting on the hook.

• Solution:
• F = {499i + 683j - 263k} lb
• F = 887 lb
• u = 0.523i + 0.77j - 0.3k
• α = 59°; β = 40°; γ = 108°
Example-3
• Determine the magnitude and coordinate direction angles of F3 so
that the resultant of the three forces is zero.

• Solution:
• F3 = {13i - 199j + 150k} lb
• F3 = 250 lb
• u3 = 0.052i - 0.742j + 0.6k
• α = 87°; β = 143°; γ = 53°
Example-4
• The spur gear is subjected to the two forces caused by contact with
other gears. Determine the resultant of the two forces and express
the result as a Cartesian vector.

• Solution:
• F = {90i - 113j + 42k} lb
• F = 151 lb
• u = 0.6i - 0.75j + 0.3k
• α = 53°; β = 139°; γ = 73°
Example-5
• If the direction of the resultant force acting on the
eyebolt is defined by the unit vector 𝒖𝑭𝑹 = cos 30°j +sin 30°k,
determine the coordinate direction angles of 𝑭𝟑 and the
magnitude of 𝑭𝑹 .

• Solution:
• 𝐹𝑅 = 1411 lb (or 387 lb)
• α3 =139°
• β3 = 61° (or 128°)
• γ3 = 64° (or 102°)
Force Directed along a Line
Position Vector
• Position Vector r is a fixed vector which locates a point in space
relative to another point.
• Position Vector has units of Length.
Position Vector (contd.)
• Position Vector r is a fixed vector which locates a point in space
relative to another point.
Position Vector (contd.)
• Position Vector r is a fixed vector which locates a point in space
relative to another point.
Force Directed along a Line
• If the Line of Action of a Force passes through two points in space (A
& B), then the force acts in the same direction as the Position Vector
r, which is defined by the Unit Vector u.
Force Directed along a Line:
Applications
Forces in Support Cables (guy wire) in
Forces in Crane Cables Electric Transmission Towers
Example-1
• An elastic rubber band is attached to points A and B as shown in the
figure. Find its length and direction measured from A toward B.

• Solution:
• r=7m
• α = 115°; β = 73°; γ = 31°
Example-2
• The man shown in the figure pulls on the cord with a force of 70 lb.
Represent this force acting on the support A as a Cartesian vector and
determine its direction.

• Solution:
• F = {30i – 20j – 60k} lb
• α = 65°; β = 107°; γ = 149°
Example-3
• The roof is supported by cables as shown in the figure. If the cables
exert forces 𝐹𝐴𝐵 = 100 N and 𝐹𝐴𝐶 = 120 N on the wall hook at A as
shown in the figure, determine the resultant force acting at A. Express
the result as a Cartesian vector.

• Solution
• F = {151i + 40j – 151k} N
Dot Product
Dot Product
• Dot Product between two vectors yields a scalar.
• For vectors A & B, Dot Product is sum of its XYZ coordinates.
• Dot Product is also called the Scalar Product.
Dot Product (contd.)
• Dot Product between two vectors yields a scalar.

• Applications:
• Finding direction of vector
• Finding components of vector
Dot Product:
Rules
• Commutative Law:

• Multiplication by a Scalar:

• Distributive Law:

• Parallel Axes:

• Perpendicular Axes:
Dot Product:
Rules (contd.)
• Determining Dot Product:
Dot product of two Cartesian vectors is determined by multiplying
their corresponding x, y, z components, and adding these products
algebraically.
Dot Product: Applications
Direction
• Dot Product can be used to find • Dot Product can also be used to
angle between two vectors: find the direction of a vector
(angle):
Dot Product: Applications
Vector Components
• Dot Product can be used to find components of a vector parallel &
perpendicular to a line.
• A component a vector along a specific line called Projection (shadow) of
tat vector along the specified line.

• Parallel Component

• Perpendicular Component
Example-1
• The frame shown in the figure is subjected to a horizontal force F =
{300j} N. Determine the magnitudes of the components of this force
parallel and perpendicular to member AB.

• Solution:
• 𝐹𝐴𝐵 = 257 N
• 𝐹𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑝 = 155 N
Example-2
• The pipe in the figure is subjected to the force of F = 80 lb. Determine
the angle θ between F and the pipe segment BA and the projection of
F along this segment.

• Solution:
• θ = 42°
• 𝐹𝐵𝐴 = 59 lb
Example-3
• Determine the magnitude of the projection of force F = 600 N along
the u axis.

• Solution:
• 𝐹𝑢 = 246 N
Conclusion
Summary
• Force is an agent of change that can cause a change in an object’s state of rest or motion.
• Force is a vector quantity; it requires both a magnitude & a direction.
• Resultant Force is used to represent the combined effect of multiple forces acting on a body.
• Resultant Force can be calculated using geometric techniques including: Head-to-Tail rule,
Parallelogram rule, & Trigonometry.
• Resultant Force can also be calculated by resolving components of individual forces into their
Rectangular Components (either in 2D or 3D) and adding them.
• Rectangular Components of force are not always horizontal & vertical, especially when
dealing with unconventional axes.
• Unit Vector is used to represent direction; it has a magnitude of 1, and no units.
• Force directed along a line can be determined using it Position Vector and magnitude.
• Dot Product can be used to find the direction of a force (i.e. its angle), and its components
(along a specific axis).
Conclusion

• The End

• Thank You!

• Any Questions?