Vector Mechanics for Engineers: Statics

Moments of Forces

Professor Nikolai V. Priezjev, Ph.D.

Tel: (937) 775-3214
Rm. 430 Russ Engineering Center
Email: [email protected]

Textbook: Vector Mechanics for Engineers: Dynamics,

Beer, Johnston, Mazurek and Cornwell, McGraw-Hill,
10th edition, 2012.
 Brief Review: Moment of a Force About a Point
• A force vector F is defined by its magnitude and direction.
Its effect on the rigid body also depends on it point of
application.
• The moment of F about point O is defined as
MO  r  F
• The moment vector MO is perpendicular to the
plane containing O and the force F.

• Magnitude of MO measures the tendency of the force

to cause rotation of the body about an axis along MO.
M O  rF sin   Fd
The sense of the moment may be determined by the
right-hand rule.

• Any force F’ that has the same magnitude and

direction as F, is equivalent if it also has the same line
of action and therefore, produces the same moment. Principle of Transmissibility!
 3.8 Rectangular Components of the Moment of a Force

The moment of F about O,

      
M O  r  F , r  xi  yj  zk
   
F  Fx i  Fy j  Fz k
   
M O  M xi  M y j  M z k

  
ii jj kk

M O xx yy zz M O  rF sin   Fd For 2D (z = 0 and Fz = 0)
FFxx FFyy FFzz  
M O  xFy  yFx k

  yFz  zFy i   zFx  xFz  j  xFy  yFx k
  MO  M Z
 xFy  yFx
Remember the (–) sign for j. Mx  My  0
 Review: Moment of a Force About a Given Axis

• Moment MO of a force F applied at the point A

about a point O,
  
MO  r  F

• Scalar moment MOL about an axis OL is the

projection of the moment vector MO onto the
axis: x y z
    
M OL    M O    r  F  = x y z
Fx Fy Fz

• Moments of F about the coordinate axes: 

Unit vector:   (x ,  y , z )
M x  yFz  zFy    
  cos  x i  cos  y j  cos  z k
M y  zFx  xFz 
M z  xFy  yFx In x-direction:   (1,0,0)
In y-direction:   (0,1,0)
In z-direction:   (0,0,1)
 3.11 Moment of a Force About a Given Axis

• Moment MO of a force F applied at the point A

about a point O,
  
MO  r  F

• Scalar moment MOL about an axis OL is the

projection of the moment vector MO onto the
axis,
    
M OL    M O    r  F 

The tendency to rotate the

body about the fixed axis.

Only the force component perpendicular

to the axis is important!
 3.12 Moment of a Couple
• Two forces F and -F having
1. the same magnitude,
2. parallel lines of action, and
3. opposite sense are said to form a couple.

• Moment of the couple:

    
M  rA  F  rB   F 
  
 rA  rB   F
 
 rF
M  rF sin   Fd

• The moment vector of the couple is

independent of the choice of the origin of the
coordinate axes, i.e., it is a free vector that can
be applied at any point with the same effect.
Example: Moment
of a Couple
 Moment of a Couple (continued)

Two couples will have equal moments if

• F1d1  F2 d 2

• the two couples lie in parallel planes, and

• the two couples have the same sense or

the tendency to cause rotation in the same
direction.

• Will be useful for drawing Free Body Diagram!

 Addition of Couples

• Consider two intersecting planes P1 and

P2 with each containing a couple
  
M 1  r  F1 in plane P1
  
M 2  r  F2 in plane P2

• Resultants of the vectors also form a

couple
     
M  r  R  r  F1  F2 

• By Varigon’s theorem
    
M  r  F1  r  F2
 
 M1  M 2

• Sum of two couples is also a couple that is equal

to the vector sum of the two couples.
 Couples Can Be Represented by Vectors

• A couple can be represented by a vector with magnitude

and direction equal to the moment of the couple.

• Couple vectors obey the law of addition of vectors.

• Couple vectors are free vectors, i.e., the point of application

is not significant.

• Couple vectors may be resolved into component vectors.

 ATTENTION QUIZ

1. A couple is applied to the beam as shown. Its moment equals

_____ N·m.
50 N
A) 50 B) 60
1m 2m 5
C) 80 D) 100 3
4

2. What is the direction of the moment vector of the couple ?

A) pointing towards us B) parallel to the red vector
C) impossible to tell D) pointing away from us
 APPLICATIONS

Free Body Diagram:

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?
If yes, how will you do that?
Resolution of a Force Into a Force at O and a Couple

• Force vector F can not be simply moved to O without modifying its

action on the body. Why?

• Attaching equal and opposite force vectors at O produces no net

effect on the body.

• The three forces may be replaced by an equivalent force vector and

couple vector, i.e., a force-couple system. Going backwards?
  
MO  r  F
3.16 Resolution of a Force Into a Force at O and a Couple

• Moving F from A to a different point O’ requires the

addition of a different couple vector MO’
  
M O'  r   F
• The moments of F about O and O’ are related,
         
M O '  r 'F  r  s   F  r  F  s  F
  
 MO  s  F
• Moving the force-couple system from O to O’ requires the
addition of the moment of the force at O about O’.
 CONCEPT QUIZ

1. F1 and F2 form a couple. The moment F1

of the couple is given by ____ .
r1
A) r1  F1 B) r2  F1 r2

C) F2  r1 D) r2  F2 F2

2. If three couples act on a body, the overall result is that

A) the net force is not equal to 0.
B) the net force and net moment are equal to 0.
C) the net moment equals 0 but the net force is not
necessarily equal to 0.
D) the net force equals 0 but the net moment is not
necessarily equal to 0 .
 Sample Problem 3.6

SOLUTION:
• Attach equal and opposite 20 lb forces in
the +x direction at A, thereby producing 3
x couples for which the moment components
are easily computed.

• Alternatively, compute the sum of the

z moments of the four forces about an
arbitrary single point. The point D is a
good choice as only two of the forces will
produce non-zero moment contributions..
  
Determine the components of the MD  r  F
single couple equivalent to the
couples shown.
 Sample Problem 3.6

• Attach equal and opposite 20 lb forces in

the +x direction at A

• The three couples may be represented by

three couple vectors,
M x  30 lb 18 in.  540 lb  in.
M y  20 lb 12 in.  240lb  in.
M z  20 lb 9 in.  180 lb  in.
  
M  540 lb  in. i  240lb  in. j
z 
 180 lb  in.k

 
    
M  rA  F  rB   F
Moment of the couple:  
 r F
M  rF sin   Fd
Sample Problem 3.6
• Alternatively, compute the sum of the
moments of the four forces about D.

• Only the forces at C and E contribute to

the moment about D.
   
M  M D  18 in. j   30 lb k
 
  
 9 in. j  12 in.k   20 lb  i

  
M  540 lb  in. i  240lb  in. j

 180 lb  in.k

• The moment vector of the couple is independent of

the choice of the origin of the coordinate axes, i.e.,
it is a free vector that can be applied at any point
with the same effect.
 PROBLEM

Given: Handle forces F1 and F2 are

applied to the electric drill.
Find: An equivalent resultant
force and couple moment at
point O.
Plan:

a) Find FRO =  Fi
b) Find MRO =  ( ri  Fi )
where,
Fi are the individual forces in Cartesian vector notation.
ri are the position vectors from the point O to any point on the line
of action of Fi .
 SOLUTION

F1 = {6 i – 3 j – 10 k} N
F2 = {0 i + 2 j – 4 k} N
FRO = {6 i – 1 j – 14 k} N
r1 = {0.15 i + 0.3 k} m
r2 = {-0.25 j + 0.3 k} m

MRO = r1  F1 + r2  F2
i j k i j k
MRO = { 0.15 0 0.3 + 0 - 0.25 0.3 } N·m
6 -3 -10 0 2 -4
= { 0.9 i + 3.3 j – 0.45 k + 0.4 i + 0 j + 0 k } N·m
= { 1.3 i + 3.3 j – 0.45 k } N·m
 System of Forces: Reduction to a Force and Couple

• A system of forces may be replaced by a collection of

force-couple systems acting a given point O
• The force and couple vectors may be combined into a
resultant force vector and a resultant couple vector,
  R  
R  F M O   r  F 
• The force-couple system at O may be moved to O’
with the addition of the moment of R about O’ ,
R R  
M O'  M O  s  R
• Two systems of forces are equivalent if they can be
reduced to the same force-couple system.
SIMPLIFICATION OF A FORCE AND COUPLE SYSTEM

WR = W1 + W2
(MR)o = W1 d1 + W2 d2

If the force system lies in the x-y plane (a 2-D case), then the
reduced equivalent system can be obtained using the following
three scalar equations.
 ATTENTION QUIZ

1. For this force system, the equivalent system at P is

___________ .
A) FP = 40 N (along +x-dir.) and MP = +60 N·m
B) FP = 0 N and MP = +30 N·m
C) FP = 30 N (along +y-dir.) and MP = -30 N·m
D) FP = 40 N (along +x-dir.) and MP = +30 N·m

y 30 N
1m 1m x
• 40 N
P 30 N
 Further Reduction of a System of Forces (Special Cases)

• If the resultant force and couple at O are mutually perpendicular,

they can be replaced by a single force acting along a new line of
action.

• The resultant force-couple system for a system of forces

will be mutually perpendicular if:
1) the forces are concurrent (just add the forces)
2) the forces are coplanar (all components are  at O)
3) the forces are parallel (moment is in xz plane).
Further Reduction of a System of Forces

• System of coplanar forces

 isreduced to a
force-couple system R and M OR that is
mutually perpendicular.

• System can be reduced to a single force

by moving the line of action of R until
its moment about O becomes M OR

• In terms of rectangular coordinates,

xR y  yRx  M OR
 Sample Problem 3.8

SOLUTION:
a) Compute the resultant force for the
forces shown and the resultant
couple for the moments of the
forces about A.

b) Find an equivalent force-couple

For the beam, reduce the system of system at B based on the force-
forces shown to (a) an equivalent couple system at A.
force-couple system at A, (b) an
equivalent force couple system at B.
Note: Since the support reactions are
not included, the given system will
not maintain the beam in equilibrium.
Sample Problem 3.8
SOLUTION:
a) Compute the resultant force and the
resultant couple at A.
 
R  F
   
 150 N  j  600 N  j  100 N  j  250 N  j
 
R  600 N  j
R  
M A   r  F 
   
 1.6 i   600 j   2.8 i  100 j 
 
 4.8 i   250 j 
R 
M A  1880 N  m k
Sample Problem 3.8
b) Find an equivalent force-couple system at B
based on the force-couple system at A.
The force is unchanged by the movement of the
force-couple system from A to B.
 
R  600 N  j

The couple at B is equal to the moment about B

of the force-couple system found at A.
R R  
M B  M A  rA B  R
  
 1880 N  m k   4.8 m i   600 N  j
 
 1880 N  m k  2880 N  m k
R 
M B  1000 N  m k
 CONCEPT QUIZ Z
• S
1. The forces on the pole can be reduced to
a single force and a single moment at •R
point ____ . • Q
A) P B) Q C) R P
• Y
D) S E) Any of these points. X

2. Consider two couples acting on a body. The simplest possible

equivalent system at any arbitrary point on the body will have
A) One force and one couple moment.
B) One force.
C) One couple moment.
D) Two couple moments.
 Sample Problem 3.10

SOLUTION:
• Determine the relative position vectors
for the points of application of the
cable forces with respect to A.

• Resolve the forces into rectangular

components.

• Compute the equivalent force,

 
R  F
Three cables are attached to the • Compute the equivalent couple,
bracket as shown. Replace the R  
forces with an equivalent force- M A   r  F 
couple system at A.
 Sample Problem 3.10

• Resolve the forces into rectangular

components.
 
FB  700 N 
   
 rE B 75 i  150 j  50k
 
rE B 175
  
 0.429 i  0.857 j  0.289k
   
FB  300 i  600 j  200k  N 
SOLUTION:
 
  
• Determine the relative position FC  1000 N  cos 45 i  cos 45k
 
vectors with respect to A.  707 i  707k N 
  
rB A  0.075 i  0.050k m    
   FD  1200 N cos 60 i  cos 30 j 
rC A  0.075 i  0.050k m   
   600 i  1039 j  N 

rD A  0.100 i  0.100 j m 
 Sample Problem 3.10
• Compute the equivalent force, • Compute the equivalent couple,
 
R  F R  
 M A   r  F 
 300  707  600 i   
 i j k
  600  1039 j    
 rB A  F B  0.075 0 0.050  30i  45k
 200  707 k 300  600 200
      
R  1607i  439 j  507k N  i j k
  
rC A  F c  0.075 0  0.050  17.68 j
707 0  707
  
i j k
  
rD A  F D  0.100  0.100 0  163.9k
600 1039 0

R   
M A  30 i  17.68 j  118.9k