RESULTANT OF COPLANAR FORCES

By: PARAG KAMLAKAR PAL.

Applied Mechanics:
It is the branch of engineering which studies the effect of external forces applied in any
manner on a particle or a body.

Engineering Mechanics/ Mechanics:

It is the branch of physical science which deals with the behavior of a body when the body
is at rest or in motion.

Depending upon the body to which the mechanics is applied, the Engineering Mechanics/
Mechanics is classified as
a) Mechanics of solids
b) Mechanics of fluids

Mechanics of solids (rigid bodies) further classified in two groups:

Statics:
It is a branch of Mechanics which deals with the studies of the bodies or rigid bodies in
equilibrium under the action of external forces.

Dynamics:
It is a branch of Mechanics which deals with the studies of the bodies or rigid bodies in
motion.

Dynamics has two parts:

a) Kinematics
b) Kinetics
RESULTANT OF COPLANAR FORCES
By: PARAG KAMLAKAR PAL.
Kinematics:
The study of the body in motion, when the forces which cause the motion are not
considered, is called as Kinematics.

Kinetics:
The study of the body in motion, when the forces which cause the motion are
considered, is called as Kinetics.

SI system of Units:
It is an internal system of units. It is universally approved and accepted. It is adopted by
large number of countries.

System:
Measuring systems are adopted for the measurement of physical quantities.

Unit/Quantity:
It is standard for the measurement of physical quantities.

Basic Unit/ Fundamental units/ Basic quantities:

Basic quantities/ Basic Unit:

The quantities which do not depend upon other quantities for their measurement is known
as basic quantities and their corresponding units are known as the basic units.
Eg. Length, Mass, Time, Temperature, Electric current, plane angle etc.

Derived quantities/ Derived Unit:

The quantities which depend upon one or more basic quantities for their measurement is
known as derived quantities and their corresponding units are known as the derived units.
Eg. Velocity, Acceleration, Force, Work & Energy, Power etc.

Body:
RESULTANT OF COPLANAR FORCES
By: PARAG KAMLAKAR PAL.
A body is defined as an object, which cannot retain its shape and size under the action of a
force system.

Rigid body:
A rigid body is defined as a body, which can retain its shape and size even if subjected to
external forces.
In practice, there is small deformation of body under the action of a force system. Such
deformation is neglected and the body is treated as rigid body.

Particle:
A particle is defined as a very small amount of matter, which may be assumed to occupy
a single point in space.
Practically, any object having very small dimensions as compared to its range of motion
can be called as a Particle.
Eg. Stars, planets, Rockets, Bullets etc.

Scalar quantity:
It is the quantity having magnitude only. It has no direction.
Eg. Mass, speed etc.

Vector quantity:
It is the quantity having magnitude and direction. It is shown by vector.
Eg. Force, Velocity, acceleration etc.

Force:
The external agency, which tends to change the state of a body is known as force.
A force is completely defined only when the following four characteristics are specified:

- Magnitude
- Point of application
- Line of action
- Direction
A force (F) is a vector quantity which is represented graphically by a straight line say ab
whose length is proportional to the magnitude of force and the arrow shows the direction of
force ab as shown in Figure above. Unit of force is Newton (N).

Force System:
RESULTANT OF COPLANAR FORCES
By: PARAG KAMLAKAR PAL.
When several forces of different magnitude and direction act upon a body, they constitute a
system of forces.

Main types of force systems are as follows:

1) Coplanar Force System:

Lines of action of all the forces lie in the same plane in this system as shown in Fig. (A)
below.

2) Collinear Force System:

Lines of action of all the forces lie in the same straight line in this system as shown in Fig.
(B) above.

3) Concurrent Force System:

Lines of action of all the forces meet at a point in this system. The concurrent forces may
not be collinear or coplanar as shown in Fig. (C) above.

4) Parallel Force System:

Lines of action of all the forces are in parallel as shown in Fig. (D) above.

5) Non- Coplanar Force System:

Lines of action of all the forces does not lie in the same plane as shown in Fig. (E) above.

6) Non- Concurrent Force System:

Lines of action of all the forces do not meet at a point in this system as shown in Fig. (E &
F) above.

7) Non-Parallel Force System:

Lines of action of all the forces are not in parallel as shown in Fig. (H) above.
RESULTANT OF COPLANAR FORCES
By: PARAG KAMLAKAR PAL.

8) Coplanar Concurrent Force System:

Lines of action of all the forces lie in the same plane and meet at a point shown in Fig. (G)
above.

9) Coplanar Non-Concurrent Force System:

Lines of action of all the forces lie in the same plane, but do not meet at a a point as shown
in Fig. (A) above. They may be in parallel.

10) Coplanar parallel Force System:

Lines of action of all the forces are in parallel in the same plane shown in Fig. (D) above.

11) Coplanar, non-concurrent, non-parallel Force System:

The lines of action of all the forces are not in parallel, they do not meet at a point but they
are in the same plane as shown in Fig. (A) above.

12) Non- Coplanar, non-concurrent Force System:

The lines of action of all the forces do not lie in the same plane and do not meet at a point
as shown in Fig. (E) above.

Fundamental Laws of Mechanics:

Newtons First Law
Newtons Second Law
Newtons Third Law
Newtons Law of gravitation
Law of transmissibility of Force
Parallelogram law of Forces

1) Newtons First Law:

It states that every body continues in its state of rest or of uniform motion in a straight line
unless it is compelled by external agency acting on it.
Newtons First Law for rotation:
Newtons laws of motion of rotation which state that, Every body continues in its state of
rest or of uniform motion of rotation about an axis unless it is acted upon by some external
torque
RESULTANT OF COPLANAR FORCES
By: PARAG KAMLAKAR PAL.
2) Newtons Second Law:
It states that the rate of change of momentum of a body is directly proportional to the
impressed force and it takes place in the direction of the force acting on it.
Force rate of change of momentum
But,
Momentum = Mass x velocity
As mass do not change,
Force Mass x rate of change velocity
Force Mass x acceleration
F ma
F = ma

3) Newtons Third Law:

It states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

4) Newtons Law of gravitation:

Everybody attracts the other body. The force of attraction between any two bodies is
directly proportional to their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance
between them.

Where, G is the constant of proportionality, it is known as constant of gravitation.

Experimentally, it is proved that the value of G = 6.673 x 10-11 Nm2/kg2

F= G(1 2/2)

5) Law of transmissibility of Force:

RESULTANT OF COPLANAR FORCES
By: PARAG KAMLAKAR PAL.

Statement:

The point of application of force may be transmitted along its line of action without
changing its effect on the rigid body to which the force is applied.

Explanation:
A force is acting at point A along line of action AB on rigid body as shown in Fig. (a).
Two equal and opposite forces of magnitude P are added at point B along line of action
AB according to the law of superposition as shown in Fig (b).

A B

Two equal and opposite forces of the magnitude P at point A and B can be subtracted
without changing action of original force P according to the law of superposition as shown in
Fig (c).

Thus the point of application of force P is transmitted along its line of action from A to B.