Engineering Mechanics &

WE925

Chapter 4: Force and Gravity

2 4.1. The Concept of Force
 Forces are usually associated with
any action that tends to maintain
the position of a body (e.g. support,
hold), to alter the position of a body
(e.g. lift, throw), or to distort it (e.g.
stretch, bend).
 Gravity or gravitational attraction is
a very important type of forces.
 The pull exerted by the earth on
every physical object located on or
near its surface.

 The science of statics deals with the

equilibrium of bodies at rest, under
the combined action of several
balanced forces.
 When all forces acting on a body
are balanced, the body is said to be
in static equilibrium.
3 4.1. The Concept of Force
 The science of kinetics is the part
of mechanics dealing with the
analysis of bodies in motion under
the influence of various forces
acting on the bodies.
 If the forces acting on a body are
not balanced, the condition of
rest or motion will be altered, and
the body will accelerate or slow
down.
 Strength of materials is the branch
of engineering science which
studies relations between forces
and amount of deformation
produced in the material.
 The force could cause
deformation to the material of the
body.
 4.2. Measurement and Unit
4
of Force
 The SI unit of force is the
Newton, symbol N.
 Newton: the ability of a
unit force, when
applied to a unit mass,
to impart to that mass a
unit of acceleration.

 1 kilonewton = 1000
newton
 Forces are measured by
a spring dynamometer,
hydraulic and
pneumatic load cells
and strain gauges.
 4.3. Characteristics of a Force
5
 The force is characterized by
its magnitude, its direction,
and its point of application.
 The magnitude of a force is
a measure of the strength of
the pushing or pulling effort
expressed in standard unit
of force (Newton or
kilonewtons).
 The direction of a force is
defined by the line of action
and the sense of the force.
 The point of application,
e.g. the point at which a
cable is attached to a
mast.
 4.4. Basic Principles Action and
6 reaction forces
 The principle of action and reaction:

 Whenever a force acts on a body, there

must be an equal and opposite force or
reaction acting on some other body.

i.e. action and reaction are equal and

opposite.

 Example: Acar is pulling a trailer with

a force of 0.2 kN. The trailer
experiences a pull of 0.2 kN exerted
by the car. At the same time, the
trailer exerts an equal, but
opposite, reaction equal to 0.2 kN
on the car.
 Action and reaction are always
collinear (acting at the same line).
 4.4. Basic Principlesn Transmissibility
7
of a Force
 The principle of transmissibility:
 The effect of a force on a body to
which it is applied is not altered when
the point of application of the force is
moved to some other position on the
line along which the force acts.
i.e. a force can be moved along its
position on the line which the force
acts.

 Example: A locomotive can

pull a train or push a train
with equal force and equal
effect.
 4.4. Basic Principles
8
Parallelogram of Forces
 The principle of
parallelogram of forces:
 If two forces intersecting at
a point are represented in
magnitude and direction by
the adjacent sides of a
parallelogram, their
combined action is
equivalent to the action of
a single force, represented
both in magnitude and
direction by the diagonal of
the parallelogram.
The single force, which has
exactly the same effect as
the two given forces, is
called the resultant force.
 4.4. Basic Principles
9 Parallelogram of Forces
 4.4. Basic Principles Parallelogram
10
of Forces
 4.4. Basic Principles Parallelogram
11
of Forces
 4.5. Rectangular Components
12 of a Force
 Resolution of a force
into components is the
separation of a single
force into component
forces acting in
different directions on
the same point.
 The two components
into which a single
force must be resolved
at right angles to each
other are called
rectangular
components of a force.
 4.5. Rectangular Components
13
of a Force
 4.5. Rectangular Components
14
of a Force
15 4.5. Rectangular
Components of a Force
 The relationships between a force F and its rectangular
components in the mutually perpendicular x and y directions,
Fx and Fy, are:

Fx  FCos Fy  FSin
where θ is the angle between the force and the x-direction.
 If the two components Fx and Fy are known, the force and the angle it
makes with the x-direction can be calculated from:

F  Fx2  Fy2
Fy
tan  
Fx
16 4.5. Rectangular
Components of a Force
17 4.5. Rectangular Components
of a Force
18 4.6. Graphical Addition of Forces
The Triangle of Forces Rule

 The triangle of forces

rule:
 It is derived simply from
the parallelogram
principle.
 When two forces are
added by the
parallelogram method,
the opposite sides of the
parallelogram are
always equal, and any
one of the two opposite
sides can represent a
force in magnitude,
resulting in two opposite
triangles of forces.
 4.6. Graphical Addition of Forces
19 The Triangle of Forces Rule
20 4.6. Graphical Addition of Forces
The Triangle of Forces Rule
21 4.6. Graphical Addition of Forces
The Polygon of Forces Method
 The polygon of
forces method:
 Used for finding
resultants of force
systems involving more
than two forces.
 Consists of repeated
applications of the
force triangle rule to
successive pairs of
forces, until all the
given forces are
reduced to a single
resultant force.
 4.6. Graphical Addition of Forces
22 The Polygon of Forces Method
 4.7. Mathematical Addition
23
of Forces
 Addition of forces, i.e. solving for the resultant of a system of forces, can
be achieved mathematically by summing their x and y components.
 The method of solution consists of the following steps:
 Step 1: Resolve given forces into x and y components using
Fx = F Cos θ and Fy= F Sin θ.
 Step 2: Assign positive and negative signs to each
component.
(to the right/ upwards – positive, to the left/ dowanwards
– negative).
 Step 3: Add all x-components and all y-components taking
the sign into consideration.
 Step 4: thetwo sums can be used to determine the resultant
force and its angle, using:

Fy
F F F
x
2
y
2 tan  
Fx
 4.7. Mathematical Addition
24
of Forces
25 4.7. Mathematical Addition
of Forces
26 4.7. Mathematical Addition
of Forces
27 4.8. Universal Gravitation
 Gravity is the force of
mutual attraction between
masses.
 Newton’s law of universal
gravitation states that the
force of gravitational
attraction (Fg) between
two bodies having masses
m1 and m2 separated by a
distance d is given by:

m1m2
Fg  G
d2
where G is the universal
gravitational constant =
66.7 x 10-12 N.m2/kg2.
28 4.8. Universal Gravitation

 Example 4.8:
Determine the force of mutual attraction between the
following pairs of bodies:
a) The Earth and the Moon, given the mass of Earth as 5.97 x
1024 kg, the mass of the Moon as 73.7 x 1021 kg and the
distance between them as 0.38 x 106 km;
b) Two ships, 30000 t each, at a center-to-center distance of
50 m;
c) Two 1 kg masses, at a distance of 1 m.
29 4.8. Universal Gravitation

 Example 4.8:
Solution:

12 N .m 2 5.97 x10 24 kgx73.7 x10 21 kg

a) Fg  66.7 x10 2
x
kg (0.38 x109 m) 2
 0.203x10 21 N
b) 12 N .m 2 30 x106 kgx30 x106 kg
Fg  66.7 x10 x
kg 2 (50m) 2
 24 N
c)
N .m 2 1kgx1kg
Fg  66.7 x10 12 x
kg 2 (1m) 2
 66.7 x10 12 N
30
4.9. Weight of a Body

 The engineer is concerned

with structures and machines
which are located on, or
very near, the surface of the
Earth.
 The law of universal
gravitation can be reduced
to a special case applicable
at or near the surface of
Earth:
me mo
Fg  G
re2

me is the mass of Earth =

5.97 x 1024 kg
mo is the mass of a given
object
re is the mean radius of
the Earth = 6.37 x 106 m
31 4.9. Weight of a Body

 The force of gravity exerted by the Earth on an object is

referred to as the weight of the object, Fw, given by:
Fw  mg
where m is the mass of the object, and g = 9.81 N/kg.
 The force of gravity on an object, or, weight, is always
acting towards the center of the Earth, i.e. vertically
downwards, and is applied to the object at the center of
its mass distribution known as its center of gravity.
 4.10 Local Variations in Gravity
32
 The gravitational constant g is to be the same if the
distance to the center of the Earth is the same for all
locations.
 There is small variation due to the ellipsoidal shape of the
Earth.
 Values of g at different Latitudes:

 Values of g at different Altitudes: