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Module 2: Components and Moment of Two Dimensional Force

Topics:
1. Force Classification
2. Rectangular Components
3. Moment of a Force

Intended Learning Outcomes:

1. Classify types of forces.
2. Breakdown a force into rectilinear components.
3. Define and calculate moment of a force about a point.

Discussion:
In this topic we study the effects of forces which act on engineering structures and mechanism. The
experience gained here will help you in the study of mechanics and other subjects such as stress analysis
and machines, and fluid flow. This chapter lays the foundation for basic understanding not only of statics
but also for the entire subject of mechanics.
External and Internal Effect of a Force:
The effects of the action of a force on a body are separated into two; the external and the internal.
Forces external to a body can be either applied forces or reactive forces. The internal forces on the body that
will tend the body to deform and it is caused by the application of the external force. The analysis of the effect
of external forces on the body is the main objectives in this course and for the internal forces it is studied in
Mechanics of Deformable Bodies in your curriculum.
Force Classification
Forces are classified as;
a) Contact forces are produced by direct physical contact; example is the force exerted on a
body by a supporting surface.

b) Body force is generated by virtue of the position of a body within a force field such as a
gravitational, electric, or magnetic field; example of a body force is your weight.

Forces further classified as;

a) Distributed forces are forces applied over a finite area.

b) Concentrated forces are the effect of a loading which is assumed to act at a point on a body.

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Force System
 is any arrangement where two or more forces act on a body or on a group of related bodies and it
can be as follows;

Concurrent forces –system of forces which has a common point of intersection.

Parallel forces – system of forces in which all of the line of action are parallel
Non-concurrent forces – are forces in which the lines of action neither are parallel nor intersect in a
common point.
Resultant force - refers to the reduction of a system of forces acting on a body to a single force and an
associated torque. The choice of the point of application of the force determines the associated torque.

The term resultant force should be understood to refer to both the forces and torques acting on a rigid
body, which is why some use the term resultant force-torque.
The resultant force, or resultant force-torque, fully replaces the effects of all forces on the motion of the
rigid body they act upon.

Rectangular Components: y
The most common two-dimensional resolution of a force F j
is resolution into rectangular components Fx and Fy.

It follows from the parallelogram rule that the Fy F

vector F as shown in the Figure 2.1 may be written as
𝛉x
x
Fx i
Figure 2.1

𝐹 = 𝐹𝑥 + 𝐹𝑦

where, Fx and Fy are vector components of F in the x- and y- axis.

The two vector components Fx and Fy can be written as the product of the scalar and the unit
vectors i and j of the figure 2.1,
𝐹𝑥 = 𝐹𝑥 𝒊 and 𝐹𝑦 = 𝐹𝑦 𝒋

thus we may write

𝐹 = 𝐹𝑥 𝒊 + 𝐹𝑦 𝒋

where, the scalar Fx and Fy are the x and y scalar components of the vector F.

The directions of the scalar components will depend on the quadrant into which F points. For the
figure 2.1 the x and y scalar components are both positive and are related to the magnitude and
direction of F as we write,

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𝑭𝒙 = 𝑭 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽𝒙 , 𝑭𝒙 = 𝑭 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒔𝜽𝒙

𝑭 = √(𝑭𝒙 )𝟐 + (𝑭𝒚 )𝟐

𝑭𝒚
𝜽 = 𝒕𝒂𝒏−𝟏
𝑭𝒙

Direction and Sign of components of the Resultant

DIAGRAM Sign of Rx Sign of Rx Direction of R with

respect to the
origin
1st Quadrant
R
+ + Up to the Right
Ry
Θx
Rx
2nd Quadrant
R
- + Up to the Left
Ry
Rx Θx

3rd Quadrant
Rx
- - Down to the Left
Θx
Ry
R
4th Quadrant
Rx
+ - Down to the Right
Θx
Ry
R

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Sample Problem:
1. The forces F1, F2, and F3, all of which act on point A of the bracket, are specified in three different
ways. Determine the x and y components of each of the forces.
y
F1 = 600 N
F2 = 500 N

3 A 350
4 Solution: Fy
0.1 m F1 = 600 N
x Components of F1:
0.2 m 350

0.3 m A Fx
F3 = 800 N

0.4 m Fx = 600 N cos 350 = 𝟒𝟗𝟏. 𝟓 𝐍

Fy = 600 N sin 350 = 𝟑𝟒𝟒. 𝟏𝟓 𝐍

Components of F2:

F2 = 500 N
5 Fy
3
θ 3
4
4 A
Fx

4
Fx = 500 N cos θ = 500 N ( ) = −𝟒𝟎𝟎 𝐍
5
3
Fy = 500 N sin θ = 500( ) = 𝟑𝟎𝟎 𝐍
5

Components of F3: By similar triangle:

Fx 1

A θ θ 2
√5
0.4 m
Fy
F3 =800 N
B
0.2 m

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1
Fx = 800 N cos θ = 800 N ( ) = 𝟑𝟓𝟕. 𝟕𝟕 𝐍
√5
2
Fy = 800 N sin θ = 800( ) = −𝟕𝟏𝟓. 𝟓𝟒 𝐍
√5

2. For the figure shown;

2.1 Determine the magnitude of the component of F1 along the u-axis.

2.2 Determine the magnitude of the component of F1 along the v-axis.

2.3 Determine the magnitude of the component of F2 along the u-axis.
2.4 Determine the magnitude of the component of F2 along the v-axis.
v
F1 = 250 kN

F2 = 150 kN
300 u

400

1050

SOLUTION:

F1 = 250 kN
F1v 450 F1v
u
300 250 kN
1050
F1u
300
1050 F1u

Components of F1:

by sine law:
𝐹1𝑣 𝐹1𝑢 250 𝑘𝑁
= =
Components of F2: sin 30 sin 45 sin 105
therefore:

F1v = 129. 41 kN, F1u = 183.01 kN

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v
F2 = 150 kN
Fv 65 F2 = 150 kN
0
u F2v
400 400

1050 750
Fu F2u
0
75

by sine law:
𝐹2𝑣 𝐹2𝑢 150𝑘 𝑁
= =
sin 40 sin 55 sin 75
therefore:
F2v = 99.82 kN, F2u = 127.21 kN

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Moment

In addition to the tendency to move a body in the direction of its application, a force can also tend to
rotate a body about an axis. The axis may be any line which neither intersects nor is parallel to the line
of action. This rotational tendency is known as the moment M of the force. Moment is also referred to as
a torque.

Moment of a force about an axis or line is the measure of its ability to produce turning or twisting about the
axis. It indicates the tendency of a body to turn about an axis passing through a specific point.

Moment or Torque = is the product of the force and the perpendicular distance ( shortest distance) to a
certain point considered from the line of action of the force.
Moment axis

Sense of rotation

F d MO

Directions of the moment/torque:

M M

Clockwise moment counter clockwise moment

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Varignon’s Theorem

One of the most useful principles of mechanics is Varignon’s theorem, which states that the moment
of a force about any point is equal to the sum of the moments of the components of the force about the same
point.
Fy
F

Fx
(x, y)
y

O
x

Sample Problem:

3. Calculate the magnitude of the moment about the base point O of the 600N force in two ways.
2m

A
400

4m 600 N

O
SOLUTION:

first (applying the basic concept of moment, M = F x d)

where; d = the perpendicular distance from the line of action of the force

2m

A
400

4m 600 N
d

Module 2: Components and Moment of Two Dimensional Force/JsLumbab

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Take moment @ point O:

𝑀0 = 𝐹 (𝑑 ) = 600𝑁 (𝑑)

Refer to the triangle:

2m A
400
β line of action
θ
of the force
4m √20
d

O
Length OA = √42 + 22 = √20 m

4
𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒 𝛽 = 𝑡𝑎𝑛−1 = 63.430
2

𝜃 = 180 − 𝛽 − 40 = 76.560

now sole for “d”:

𝑑
sin 𝜃 =
√20
𝒅 = 𝟒. 𝟑𝟓 𝒎

The moment @ point O:

𝑀0 = 600𝑁 (4.35𝑚 ) = 𝟐, 𝟔𝟎𝟗. 𝟖𝟓 𝑵 − 𝒎

Second (applying the varignon’s theorem):

2m

A 600N cos 40o

400

4m 600 N
600N sin 40o

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Take moment @ point O:

𝑀0 = (600𝑁𝑐𝑜𝑠 40)4𝑚 + (600𝑁𝑠𝑖𝑛 40)2𝑚

𝑴𝟎 = 𝟐, 𝟔𝟎𝟗. 𝟖𝟓 𝑵 − 𝒎
4. In the figure, find the y-coordinate of point A so that the 361lb force will have a clockwise moment
of 400 lb-ft about O. Also determine the x and y intercept of the action line of the force.

361 lb

xA =2 ft 2
A 3
yA
x
O

SOLUTION:

Solving for the x- and y-intercept of the line of action of the force;
2
361𝑙𝑏( )
√13
361 lb
√13 2
2 ft 3 3
A 361𝑙𝑏( )
yA √13

x
O

Given: 𝑀𝑜 = 400 𝑙𝑏 − 𝑓𝑡 (𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑘𝑤𝑖𝑠𝑒)

Resolve into components the 361 lb at @ point A.

Take moment @ O:
3 2
𝑀𝑜 = 361𝑙𝑏 ( ) (𝑦𝐴 ) − 361𝑙𝑏 ( ) (2𝑓𝑡) = 400 𝑙𝑏 − 𝑓𝑡
√13 √13
𝒚𝑨 = 𝟐. 𝟔𝟕 𝒇𝒕

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Solving for the y-intercept;

y 361 lb
√13 2
2 2 ft
361𝑙𝑏( ) 3
A
√13
line of action 3
of the force 361𝑙𝑏( )
√13 yA = 2.67 ft

yi
O x

Take moment @ point O:

3 2
𝑀𝑜 = 361𝑙𝑏 ( ) (𝑦𝑖 ) − 361𝑙𝑏 ( ) (0) = 400 𝑙𝑏 − 𝑓t
√13 √13

𝒚𝒊 = 𝟏. 𝟑𝟑 𝒇𝒕 (𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒏)

Solving for the x-intercept;

y 361 lb
line of action √13 2
2 ft
of the force 3
A

2 yA = 2.67 ft
361𝑙𝑏( )
√13

O x
3
361𝑙𝑏( )
√13
xi

Take moment @ point O:

3 2
𝑀𝑜 = 361𝑙𝑏 ( ) (0) − 361𝑙𝑏 ( ) (𝑥𝑖 ) = 400 𝑙𝑏 − 𝑓t
√13 √13

𝒙𝒊 = 𝟐. 𝟎 𝒇𝒕 (𝒍𝒆𝒇𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒏)

Module 2: Components and Moment of Two Dimensional Force/JsLumbab