CONTENTS

1 Vectors and scalars 4 more on moments

2 Balanced forces 5 Stability

3 moments 6 Equilibrium rules

1.1 Vectors and scalarsa

1
3

2
Vectors and scalarsa
The distance you travel depends on
your route, it is a scalar.
distance

distance
Vectors and scalarsa
Displacement is distance in a
given direction, it is a vector.

Displacement
Vectors and scalarsa
• A vector is any physical quantity that has a direction as
well as a magnitude.

• A scalar is any physical quantity that is not directional.

 Vector or scalar?
vector ?? scalar
weight
velocity
mass
displacement
speed
acceleration
distance
energy
force
 Representing a vector
• A scalar quantity is often represented by a lower
case letter.
e.g. speed, v.

• A vector quantity can also be represented by a

lower case letter, but it is written or printed in one
of the following formats to differentiate it from the
scalar equivalent:
 Addition of vectors using a scale diagram

C parallelogram rule

B
 Addition of vectors using a scale diagram

• Stage 1, from O to A, A
is represented by the
displacement vector

• Stage 2, from A to B, o B
is represented by the
displacement vector
 Addition of vectors using a scale diagram
 Addition of vectors using a scale diagram

a
θ
 Addition of vectors using a scale diagram

a
θ
 Resolving a vector into two perpendicular
components

A vector can be 'broken y

down' or resolved into its 6
vertical and horizontal
components. a sinθ
• the horizontal a
components is a cosθ θ
• the vertical is asinθ 8 x
a cosθ
 Addition of vectors using a scale diagram

a
θ
 Addition of vectors using a scale diagram

resultant R=?
• Find the force acting on the cube.

• Draw a scale diagram.

• Calculate the magnitude of all

forces.
(m=100g)
 Addition of vectors
 Forces A support force

A normal force

A gravitational force
A friction force

Weight
 Forces
Air Resistance Force

Tension Force Drag Force

Weight
 Forces

Electric Force Magnetic Force

 Forces

2 • Resultant force
• net force
1.2 Balanced forcesa
 Equilibrium of a point object
N
• When two forces act on a point
object, the object is in equilibrium
(at rest or moving at constant
velocity) only if the two forces are
equal and opposite to each other
• The resultant of the forces is
therefore zero. G=mg
• The forces are said to be
balanced
Newton's third law : For every action, there
is an equal and opposite reaction.
action-reaction pair
• When all the forces acting on a body cancel out
equilibrium is reached and the object does not move
or moving at constant velocity.

• Newton’s first law of motion:

• An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion
stays in motion with the same speed and in the same
direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
•
sometimes referred to as the law of inertia.
Testing three forces in equilibrium
resultant
The three forces F1, F2,
and F3 acting on P are in
equilibrium, so any two F F2
should give a resultant 1
equal and opposite to the P
third force.

F3

parallelogram rule
1.3 The principle of momentsa
 Introduction to turning forces

Forces can make things accelerate. They can also make things
rotate.
What’s wrong with these pictures?

too
short!
too
short!

wrong
place!

We know instinctively that we need to apply a force at a large distance from the
pivot for it to be effective.
 Turning effects

• The weight of a pivoted

object can have a
Centre of Mass
turning effect.
Centre of Mass
• If the pivot passes
through its centre of

Pivot
mass, the object does Pivot

not turn, clockwise or

anticlockwise.
• If a force is applied at a
distance from the pivot
it has a turning effect
(moment).
 Turning effects (moments)

• The moment of a force about any point is defined as:

the force × the perpendicular distance from the line of action of the
force to the point. Its units are newton metres (Nm)

pivot
F
d

F – the force applied in newtons (N).

d – the perpendicular distance (in m) between the pivot and the
line of action of the force.

the moment of force = F × d

Calculating

4N

Nm
4N

20
N
5m

Line of action

• Turning Effect of a force or Moment :

Moment = Force x Distance*

20Nm = 4N x 5m

*perpendicular between line of action and pivot

 More than one Force

• More than one

moment can act in
particular direction 4
N
6
N

10m

Moment = Force x Distance + Force x Distance

80 Nm = 4N x 5m + 6N x 10m
Moments - Size and Distance

• A force has a greater turning effect

(moment):
• The greater the size of the force.
• The greater the perpendicular distance
between the line of action of the force
and the pivot.
 The principle of moments ►Balanced

8 4 6
N N N

80 Nm = 80 Nm

• If an object is not turning…

• The total moments of forces tending
to turn it in the clockwise direction
must be …
• Exactly balanced by the total
moments of forces tending to turn it
in the anticlockwise direction.
 The principle of moments

considering the moments of the forces

about any point, for equilibrium

the sum of the clockwise

moments = the sum of the
anticlockwise moments
Calculate the weight of person A
 Centre of mass
1.4 More on moments
 Single-support problems

• taking moments
about the knife-
edge gives
• taking moments
about the point
where W1 is
attached to the rule W0
W1 W2
 Two-support problems

Sx Sy
• If the centre of mass
of the beam is
midway between the
pillars.
• If the centre of mass
of the beam is at
distance dx from
pillar X. W
 Couples

• A couple is a pair of forces acting on a body that are of equal

magnitude and opposite direction, acting parallel to one
another, but not along the same line.

• Forces acting in this way produce a turning force or moment.

• The forces on this beam are a couple, producing a

moment, which will cause the beam to rotate.

d
F
 The moment of a couple

There is a formula specifically for

finding the torque of a couple.

A point P is chosen arbitrarily. Take

moments about P.
total moment = Fx + F(d – x)
= Fx + Fd – Fx
= Fd
 Centre of Mass

• The centre of mass of a

Centre of Mass
body is the point through
which a single force on
the body has no turning Pivot

effect.
Point of Suspension
• If suspended, an
object will come to
Centre of Mass
rest with its centre of
mass
directly below the
point of suspension.
Pivot

• The weight of the

object does not then
exert any turning
force (moment) on
the object.
Finding Centre of Mass

Axis of Symetry

Centre of Mass

• The centre of mass of a symmetrical

object is along the axis of symmetry.
Finding Centre of Mass

Centre of Mass

• Candidates should be able to

describe how to find the centre of
mass of a thin sheet of material.
1.5 Stability
 Stable and unstable equilibrium

• stable equilibrium • unstable equilibrium

 Tilting and toppling
 Tilting and toppling

Line of action
Base of Object

• If the line of action of the weight of

an object lies outside the base of the
object…
• A turning effect will result
• The object will tend to fall over.
 The conditions for equilibrium of a body

for a body in equilibrium:

• The resultant force must be zero. If there
are only three forces, they must form a
closed triangle.

• The principle of moments must apply

(i.e., the moments of the forces about the
same point must balance out).
 On a slope
1.5 Equilibrium rules

support S Friction F

weight W