CHAPTER 4

EQUILIBRIUM OF
COPLANER
FORCE SYSTEMS
STATIC EQUILIBRIUM
CONDTIONS FOR EQUILIBRIUM
OF A RIGID OBJECT
• The (vector) sum of the external forces on the
rigid object must equal zero:

ΣF = 0

5 lbs

10 lbs 10 lbs

5 lbs

we say the object is in Translational Equilibrium

• The sum of the external torques on the rigid object must equal zero.

ΣM = 0

we say the object is in Rotational Equilibrium

 ΣF = 0 + ΣM = 0 = Static Equilibrium

Since nearly all of the problems we will

solve are two–dimensional problems, these
equations reduce to:

ΣFx = 0 ΣFy = 0 ΣMz = 0

Free body diagrams (1)
 FBD is an essential step in the solution
of all problems involving forces on
bodies
 it is a diagram of the external surface of
the body - not interested in internal
forces
 all other bodies in contact with the one
we are interested in are replaced by
vectors
 Free body diagrams (2)

mg

R1 R2
Sketch of person standing
F=ma
R1+R2-mg=ma, but no acceleration so,
R1+R2=mg
Free body diagrams (3)
T

mg

sketch
free body
diagram
Free body diagrams (4)
Rules:
 clear sketches
 draw in the correct orientation
 show all forces acting on the body
 don’t show any internal forces between
different parts of the body
 show the forces not the components
 TWO FORCE MEMBERS

CAN ONLY HAVE 2 FORCES ACTING ON THEM, AT THEIR ENDS

FOR EQUILIBRIUM TO EXIST THE FORCES MUST BE:

EQUAL IN MAGNITUDE
OPPOSITE IN SENSE
COLINEAR
LINE OF ACTION PASSES THROUGH CENTER LINE
FORCE TRIANGLE METHOD

Move force A so that it's tail meets the head of force B

Draw resultant from tail of B to Tip of A
F2
F3
C 100lb

T
 METHOD OF COMPONENTS
APPLY LAWS OF EQUILIBRIUM

ΣFH = 0 ΣFV=0

Write equation for Horizontal equilibrium

Write equation for Vertical equilibrium

Note: the positive signs do not necessarily

mean the forces act in a positive direction,
Substitute for T from earlier equation only that the senses you assumed were correct
Strategy for solving problems in static equilibrium:

• Determine all the forces that are acting on the rigid body. They
will come from the other objects with which the body is in contact
(supports, walls, floors, weights resting on them) as well as gravity

• Draw a diagram and put in all the information you have about
these forces: The points on the body at which they act, their
magnitudes (if known), their directions (if known).

• Write down the equations for static equilibrium.

• Solve the equations!

APPLY EQUILIBRIUM EQUATIONS
SUSTITUTING
EQUILIBRIUM OF PARALLEL
FORCE SYSTEMS

ΣF = 0 + ΣM = 0

PARALLEL SYSTEMS CANNOT BE DETERMINED BY ΣF ONLY

ΣM MUST BE INVOLVED

Assumptions of + and – are important

EQUILIBRIUM OF NONCONCURRENT
FORCE SYSTEMS

ΣFH = 0 ΣFV=0 ΣM=0

Compute the Reactions at A and B on the truss below. There is a roller support
at A and a pin support at B

ΣFx = 0 ΣFy = 0 ΣMz = 0

- force system is noncoplaner, nonconcurrent and nonparallel
 Write Equilibrium Equation for
Horizontal Forces

RBH = 423 lbs

As RBH is positive, the assumed sense was correct!

Determine Reaction force at A

by summing moments about B

Determine Vertical Reaction force at B

by summing moments about A

Verify by Writing Equilibrium equation

for Vertical Forces.
Note: There a 4 unknown forces,
acting on the bar, but we only have
3 equilibrium equations!!!! (Hint:
Force N comes from the cylinder)
Knowing Force N allows us to
use equilibrium equations
 Example
A 6 kN force is supported
away from the wall.

 Determine the reactions at

the supports.

We can write the vertical force equilibrium

equation to find RB.
 Fvertical  RB sin 45  6 kN  0
RB  8.485kN

Then, the horizontal force

equilibrium equation gives us

F horizontal  RB cos 45  RC  0

RC  6 kN
Example 2
 Determine the weight on
front and rear wheels of an
8,000 lb van.

 The wheelbase (the distance

between the front and rear
wheels) is 10 ft.

 Assume that the center of

gravity is close to the front
tires and at a distance of
one-third of the wheelbase
from the front wheels.
Example 2
 Step I: Draw the free-body
diagram of the van

 The free-body diagram

shows two reactions (Rrear
and Rfront) along with the
weight of the van.

 The weight of the van is

placed at its center of
gravity.
 The distances between the
forces are marked in terms
of wheel base L.

 This is a three-force system.

 Step II: Apply the equilibrium equations

 The force equilibrium equation can be written

 F  8000lb  R
as
rear  R front  0
Rrear  R front  8000lb

 If we take the moment about the rear wheel,

the reactions at the rear wheels (Rrear) do not
create any moment. We get


2L
M  R front L  8000lb  0
3
R front  5,333lb

 Substituting the value of Rrear in the force

equilibrium equation, we get

Rrear  2,667lb
 Each front wheel carries 2667 lb
(half of Rfront), and each rear
wheel carries 1334 lb.

 The results make sense

because the front wheels, which
are close to the load application,
carry more weight than the rear
wheels.

 Auto designers arrange the

subsystems in such a way that
the center of gravity is closer to
the drive wheels. As a result,
the drive wheels carry more
weight and, therefore, have
increased traction (frictional
force).
 Determine the reactions at the supports. The
length of the beam is L.
 Step I: Draw the free-body diagram
 The pin support provides both horizontal and vertical
reaction.

 The roller provides a vertical reaction.

 Step II: Apply the equilibrium equations
 If we take the force equilibrium equation along the x-axis, we get
F x 0
R Ax  0

 The moment equilibrium equation at point A yields

M A  R By L  P  0.7L  P  0.3L  0 R By  0.4 P

 Similarly, the moment at point B gives us
R Ay  0.4 P
M B  R Ay L  P  0.7L  P  0.3L  0
Tail Tipping
 Tail tipping is a phenomenon where an airplane tips over the rear
wheels due to an increased load in the aft section.

 When the airplane is approaching the tipping condition, the

normal force acting on the nose wheel is greatly reduced.

 An airplane close to tail tipping looses the traction force needed

for steering during the take-off or landing.
Table Tipping
 If the weight distribution is
uniform, the weight the table
(W) can be applied at the center
of gravity The reactions at the
supports will be
R A-W  0.5W
R B-W  0.5W
 If only force F acting at the end
of the table, the equilibrium
equations are
F = R A-F  R B-F  F

M about point B = R A-F  2a  F  b  0

R A-F   F b
2a
R B-F 
 F 1 b
2a 
 Table Tipping
 Using the principle of
superposition, the reactions
when both forces (W and F) are
applied

R A  R A-W  R A-F  0.5W  F b

2a
R B  R B-W  R B-F 
 0.5W  F 1  b
2a 
Table Tipping
 Increasing the magnitude of force
F reduces the reaction at support
A and increases the reaction at
support B.

 At a certain magnitude of force F,

support A is about to loose contact
with the ground.

RA  0  W  Fb
a
 This property is useful to
experimentally determine the
impending tipping condition by
measuring the reaction force at
the supports by sensors.
Tail Tipping
 The second method for determining
the impending tipping condition uses
the equilibrium equation.

 The equilibrium equations for the

free-body diagram

M about point B = R A  2a  W  a  F  b  0
 At tipping the magnitude of RA is
equal to zero. Substituting the
magnitude of RA, we get

W  Fb
a
 Often used to calculate the
magnitude of the tipping force.
Footprint
 A third method for determining
the tipping condition is the use
of footprint.

 Footprint is the minimum area

by a closed curve with
nonnegative (positive or zero)
curvature at any point on the
curve encompassing the base.

 Imagine an elastic band

stretched to encompass the
object at its base.

 The area encompassed by the

band indicates the footprint.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa
 The Tower of Pisa is the tallest
self-supporting bell tower.

 With a diameter of 15.5 m and

height of 56 m, the tower
weighs 15,000 metric tons.

 Due to the foundation problems,

the tower started leaning, and
this design failure resulted in
one of the Seven Wonders of
the World.

 The tower leans at an angle of

5.50.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa
 To find the critical angle at
which it will become unstable
(from the rigid-body point of
view), the Tower is
approximated as a cylinder
with uniform density.

 The tower will tip-over when

the weight passes outside
the footprint. The critical
angle can be calculated as

7.75 m
tan θ 
28 m
θ  15.47 0
 The crane shown in the
figure below weighs 10,000
lb and its boom weighs 1000
lb.

 The centers of gravity of the

crane and the boom are
known.

 Determine the maximum

load the crane can carry at a
boom angle of 450.
 For tipping, the moment caused
by the load W and the boom
weight overcomes the moment
caused by the weight of the
crane.

 At the point of tipping, the

reaction at the support B is
zero.

 Taking the moments about A,

we get
W  (12cos 45  3)  1000  (9cos 45  3) 10000  6
W 10,325lb
 For the step ladder shown, sides AC and EC are 8 ft long and hinged at C. Tie
Rod BD is 2.5 ft long and halfway up. A man weighing 192 lb climbs 6 feet up
the ladder. Assume floor is frictionless, neglect weight of ladder. 1. Find tension
in Rod BD. 2. Reaction forces at points A and E.

FY
ΣFH = 0
FX

Hint: consider the sides of ladder

as separate objects
ΣFY = 0
 C
ΣM about C = 0

From equations 2 & 5

5

From equation 3
 3 4
1 2
5