Previous Year Questions: Statics

(2008-23)

Equilibrium of System of Particles

1. A solid right circular cone whose height is h and radius of whose base is r, is
placed on an inclined plane and it is prevented from sliding. If the inclination 
of the plane (to the horizontal) be gradually increased, find when the cone will
topple over. For a cone whose semi- vertical angle is 30°, determine the circular
value of  which when exceeded, the cone will topple over.
2. A ladder of weight 10 kg rests on a smooth horizontal ground leaning against a
smooth vertical wall at an inclination tan 2 with the horizontal and is prevented
from slipping by a string attached at it’s lower end and to the junction of the floor
and the wall. A body of weight 30 kg begins to ascend the ladder. If the string can
bear a tension of 10 kg-wt, how far along the ladder can the boy rise with safety?
3. A uniform rod 𝐴𝐵 is movable about a hinge at 𝐴 and rests with one end in contact
with a smooth vertical wall. If the rod is inclined at an angle of 30° with the
horizontal, find the reaction at the hinge in magnitude and direction.
4. A ladder of weight W rests with one end against a smooth vertical wall and the
other end rest on a smooth floor. If the inclination of the ladder to the horizon is
60°, find the horizontal force that they must be applied to the lower end to prevent
the ladder from slipping down.
5. Two equal ladders of weight 4kg each are placed so as to lean at A against each
other with their end resting on a rough floor, given the coefficient of friction is 𝜇.
The ladders at A make an angle 60° with each other. find what weight on the top
would cause them to slip.
6. A uniform rod 𝐴𝐵 of length 2𝑎 movable about a hinge at 𝐴 rests with other end
against a smooth vertical wall. If 𝛼 is the inclination of the rod to the vertical,

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By Avinash Singh, Ex IES, B.Tech IIT Roorkee
 prove that the magnitude of reaction of the hinge is 𝑊√4 + tan 𝛼 where 𝑊 is the

weight of the rod.

7. A beam AD rests on two supports B and C, where 𝐴𝐵 = 𝐵𝐶 = 𝐶𝐷 . It is found that
the beam will tilt when a weight of p kg is hung from A or when a weight of q kg
is hung from D. Find the weight of the beam.
8. A uniform rod, in vertical position, can turn freely about one of its ends and is
pulled aside from the vertical by a horizontal force acting at the other end of the
rod and equal to half its weight. At what inclination to the vertical will the rod
rest?
9. Two weights 𝑃 and 𝑄 are suspended from a fixed point 𝑂 by strings 𝑂𝐴, 𝑂𝐵 and
are kept apart by a light rod 𝐴𝐵. If the strings 𝑂𝐴 and 𝑂𝐵 make angles 𝛼 and 𝛽
with the rod 𝐴𝐵 show that the angle 𝜃 which the rod makes with the vertical is

given by tan 𝜃 =

10. A square 𝐴𝐵𝐶𝐷, the length of whose side is a, is fixed in a vertical plane with two
of its sides horizontal. An endless string of length 𝑙(> 4𝑎) passes over four pegs
at the angle of the board and through a ring of weight 𝑊 which is hanging
( )
vertically. Show that the tension of the string is .
√

11. A rod of 8kg is movable in a vertical plane about a hinge at one end, another end
is fastened a weight equal to half of the rod, this end is fastened by a string of
length 𝑙 to a point at a height b above the hinge vertically. Obtain the tension in
the string.
12. Two rods LM and MN are joined rigidly at the point M such that (𝐿𝑀) + (𝑀𝑁) =
(𝐿𝑁) and they are hanged freely in equilibrium from a fixed point L. let 𝜔 be the
weight per unit of length of both the rods which are uniform. Determine the angle,
which the rod LM makes with the vertical direction, in terms of lengths of the
rods. (10)
13. A heavy string, which is not of uniform density, is hung up from two points. Let
𝑇 ,𝑇 ,𝑇 be the tensions at the intermediate points 𝐴, 𝐵, 𝐶 of the catenary
respectively where its inclinations to the horizontal are in arithmetic progressions
with common difference 𝛽. Let 𝜔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝜔 be the weights of the parts AB and BC
of the string respectively. Prove that

a. Harmonic mean of 𝑇 , 𝑇 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑇 =

b. =

(20)

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By Avinash Singh, Ex IES, B.Tech IIT Roorkee
14. A cylinder of radius ‘a’ touches a vertical wall along a generating line. Axis of the
cylinder is fixed horizontally. A uniform flat beam of length ‘l’ and weight ‘W’ rests
with its extremities in contact with the wall and the cylinder, making an angle of
√
45° with the vertical. If frictional forces are neglected, then show that = .
√

Also find the reactions of the cylinder and wall. (10, 2023)

Virtual Work

1. Solid hemisphere is supported by a string fixed to point on its rim and to a

point on a smooth vertical wall with which the curved surface of the
hemisphere is in contact. If 𝜃 and 𝜙 are the inclination of the string and the
plane base of the hemisphere to the vertical, prove by using the principal of
virtual work that
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𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝜙 = + 𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝜃
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2. Six equal rods AB, BC, CD, DE, EF and FA are each of weight w and are freely
jointed at their extremities so as to from a hexagon; the rod AB is fixed in a
horizontal position and the middle points of AB and DE are joined by a string.
Find the tension in the string.
3. A regular pentagon ABCDE, formed of equal heavy uniform bars jointed
together is suspended from the joint A, and is maintained in from by a light
road joining the middle points of BC and DE. Find the stress in this rod.
4. Two equal uniform rods AB and AC, each of length 𝑙 are freely jointed at A and
rest on a smooth fixed vertical circle of radius 𝑟. If 2𝜃 is the angle between the
roads, then find the relation between 𝑙, 𝑟 and 𝜃 by using the principal of virtual
work.
5. A square framework formed of uniform heavy rods of equal weight W jointed
together, is hung up by one corner. A weight W is suspended from each of the
three lower corners, and the shape of the square is preserved by a light rod
along the horizontal diagonal. Find the thrust of the light rod.
6. A chain of n equal uniform rods is smoothly jointed together and suspended
from its one end 𝐴 . A horizontal force 𝑃⃗ is applied to the other end 𝐴 of the
chain. Find the inclinations of the rod to the downward vertical line in the
equilibrium configuration. (15, 2022)
7. Solid hemisphere is supported by a string fixed to a point on its rim and to a
point on a smooth vertical wall with which the curved surface of the

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By Avinash Singh, Ex IES, B.Tech IIT Roorkee
 hemisphere is in contact. If 𝜃 is the angle of inclination of the string with the
vertical and 𝜙 is the angle of inclination of the plane base of the hemisphere
to the vertical, then find the value of (𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝜙 − 𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝜃). (15, 2023)

Common Catenary

1. The end links of a uniform chain slide along a fixed rough horizontal rod. Prove

that the ratio of the maximum span to the length of the chain is 𝜇 𝑙𝑜𝑔

where 𝜇 the coefficient of friction is.

2. Find the length of an endless chain which will hang over a circular pulley of
radius a so as to be in contact with two third of the circumference of the pulley.
3. A cable of weight w per unit length and length 2l hangs from two points P and
Q in the same horizontal line. Show that the span of the cable is

2𝑙 1 − , where h is the sag in the middle of the tightly stretched position.

(20, 2022)

Stability of Equilibrium

1. A heavy hemispherical shell of radius 𝑎 has a particle attached a point on the

rim, and rests with the curved surface in contact with a rough sphere of radius

b at the highest point. Prove that if > √5 − 1 the equilibrium is stable,

whatever be the weight of the particle.

2. A body consists of a cone and underlying hemisphere. The base of the cone
and the top of the hemisphere, have same radius 𝑎. The whole-body rests on
a rough horizontal table with hemisphere in contact with the table. Show that
the greatest height of the cone, so that the equilibrium may be stable, is √3𝑎.
3. A uniform solid hemisphere rests on a rough plane, inclined to the horizon at
an angle 𝜙, with its curve surface touching the plane. Find the greatest
admissible value of the inclination 𝜙 for equilibrium. If 𝜙 be less than this
value, is the equilibrium stable?
4. Suppose a cylinder of any cross section is balanced on another fixed cylinder,
the contact of curved surface being rough and the common tangent line
horizontal. Let 𝜌 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝜌′ be radii of curvature of the two cylinders at the point
of contact and h be the height of centre of gravity of the upper cylinder above

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By Avinash Singh, Ex IES, B.Tech IIT Roorkee
 the point of contact. Show that the upper cylinder is balanced in stable

equilibrium if ℎ < . (15, 2022)

Friction

1. One end of a heavy uniform rod 𝐴𝐵 can slide along a rough horizontal rod 𝐴𝐶,
to which it is attached by a ring. 𝐵 and 𝐶 are joined by a string. When the rod
is on the point of sliding, then 𝐴𝐶 − 𝐴𝐵 = 𝐵𝐶 . If 𝜃 is the angle between 𝐴𝐵

and the horizontal line, then prove that the coefficient of friction is .

2. A straight uniform beam of length '2ℎ' rests in limiting equilibrium in contact

with a rough vertical wall of height 'ℎ' with one end on a rough horizontal plane
and with the other end projecting beyond the wall. If both the wall and the
plane be equally rough, prove that '𝜆' the angle of friction, is given by 𝑠𝑖𝑛 2𝜆 =
𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝛼 𝑠𝑖𝑛 2𝛼, '𝛼' being the inclination of the beam to the horizon.
3. A uniform ladder of weight W rests at an angle of 45° with the horizontal with
its upper extremity against a rough vertical wall and its lower extremity on the
ground. If 𝜇 and 𝜇′ are the coefficients of limiting friction between the ladder
and the ground and wall respectively, then find the minimum horizontal force
required to move the lower end of the ladder towards the wall.
4. The base of an inclined plane is 4 metres in length and the height is 3 metres.
A force of 8kg acting parallel to the plane will just prevent a weight of 20 kg
from sliding down. Find the coefficient of friction between the plane and the
weight.

Equilibrium of Forces in Three Dimensions

1. On a rigid body the forces 10 𝚤̂ + 2𝚥̂ + 2𝑘 𝑁, 5 −2𝚤̂ − 𝚥̂ + 2𝑘 𝑁 𝑎𝑛𝑑 6 2𝚤̂ + 2𝚥̂ − 𝑘 𝑁

are acting at points with position vector 𝚤̂ − 𝚥̂, 2𝚤̂ + 5𝑘 , and 4𝚤̂ − 𝑘 respectively.
Reduce this system to a single force 𝑅⃗ acting at the point 4𝚤̂ + 2𝚥̂ together with
a couple 𝐺⃗ whose axis passes through this point. Does the point 4𝚤̂ + 2𝚥̂ lie on
the central axis.

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By Avinash Singh, Ex IES, B.Tech IIT Roorkee