Engineering Mechanics 1-1 Coplannar Concurrent Forces
UNIT I
Coplannar Concurrent Forces 1
Introduction:
Engineering mechanics is the basic applied science of the entire engineering field. It deals with the
effect and analysis of the forces on a body which may be at rest or in the motion.
Branch of Engineering Mechanics: -
1) Statics: - Statics deals with the bodies at rest.
2) Dynamics : - Dynamics deals with the bodies in motion.
Dynamics is divided into two parts
i) Kinematics : - kinematics deals with only motion of the bodies
ii) Kinetics : - kinetics deals with motion of the bodies along with forces causing motion & masses of the
bodies.
Forces :
Force is an external agency which produces motion in the body or changes the motion of the body.
Unit of force is Newton (N).
Properties of forces
a) Magnitude
b) Direction
c) Sense
d) Point of application
Types of Force Systems
a) Coplannar Forces :
Forces lies in one plane are
called as coplanar forces.
b) Concurrent Forces:
Forces passing through same point
are called as concurrent forces.
c) Collinear Forces : -
Forces lies along a same straight line
are called as collinear forces.
d) Like Parallel Forces
e) Unlike Parallel Forces
Engineering Mechanics 1-2 Coplannar Concurrent Forces
Axioms Related to Principles of Statics:
An axiom means a statement accepted as true without proof. It is based on the prolonged experiments.
The study of statics is based upon following five axioms –
1. The parallelogram Law for Addition of Forces :
B
C
Q R
q
a
O A
P
If two forces P and Q acting at a point on the body are represented by vectors OA and OB a shown in
Fig., they are equivalent to a single force, R called the resultant, represented by the vector OC, which is the
diagonal of the parallelogram OACB, passing through the meeting point of sides OA and OB of the
parallelogram.
Resultant, R = P2 + Q2 + 2PQ cos q
Q sin q
Direction, tan a =
P + Q cos q
Instead of drawing a parallelogram, we my construct OAC or OBC. Then it becomes the law of
triangle of forces. When the resultant, R is zero it is obvious that P and Q must be (i) equal in magnitude (ii)
opposite in direction and (iii) collinear i.e. having the same lien of action. The body is said to be in
equilibrium when the resultant force acting on it is zero.
2. Superposition and transmissibility :
(a) Law of superposition :
The action of a given system of forces on a rigid body is unaltered if we add or subtract from them
another system of forces in equilibrium.
(b) Law of transmissibility of a force :
The point of application of a force may be transmitted along its line of action without changing its
effect on the rigid body to which the force is applied. Consider the fig.shown. A force P is shown acting at A
in (a). B is another point on the line of action of the force.
(a) (b) (c)
In (b), the principle of superposition is applied by adding two equal and opposite forces of magnitude
P, and thus not changing the effect of P at A on the body. As P ( ) at A and P( ) at B have no resultant
force, what now is left is the only force P () at B as shown in (c). This is the principle of transmissibility of
a force.
3. Newton's Law related to Action and Reaction : The forces of action and reaction between bodies in
contact have the same magnitude, same line of action and opposite direction. Thus any pressure on a
support given by a body causes an equal and opposite pressure on the body given by the support.
Engineering Mechanics 1-3 Coplannar Concurrent Forces
4. Newton's Law of Inertia : Everybody will continue is the same" state of rest or of uniform motion in
a straight line unless it is compelled to change it by the application of an external agency called the
force. The inherent property of continuing the same state is called inertia.
5. Newton's Law of Gravitation : Two particles of mass M and m are mutually attracted with equal and
opposite forces, F and - F given by the formula -
GMm
F =
r2
where r = distance between two particles, and G = constant of gravitation.
If one particle is the earth of mass M and the other particle of mass m is located on the earth's surface,
and if R is radius of the earth the earth exerts a force F on the particle given by
GMm
F =
r2
GMm
If = g,
r2
we get ; F = mg
The force of attraction, F of earth on any particle of mass m on its surface is given by mg and is called
the weight of the particle. The average value of g is 9.81 m/s2.
COMPOSITION AND RESOLUTION OF FORCES
1. Composition: The reduction of a given system of forces to the simplest system that will be its
equivalent is called the composition of forces. One single force obtained by the composition of several
concurrent forces is called the resultant force.
2. Resolution of Force : The replacement of a single force by several components which will be
equivalent in action to the given force is called the resolution of a force. By using the parallelogram
law, we can resolve a given force R into any two components, P and Q intersecting at a point on the
line of action of R. The magnitude and the direction of P and Q. involve four unknowns in the problem
of resolution of a force, generally we have to deal with any two unknowns.
