CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION TO STATICS

Definition

Mechanics:
Branch of physical
sciences concerned with
the state of rest or
motion of bodies
subjected to forces.
Chapter 1 General Principles

3/29/16

Engineering Mechanics

Solid Mechanics

Rigid Bodies

Statics

Fluid Mechanics

Deformable Bodies

Dynamics
Chapter 1 General Principles

3/29/16

Rigid Body Mechanics

Statics Bodies at rest

Dynamics Accelerated
motion of bodies

Chapter 1 General Principles

3/29/16

Basic Quantities
Length
meter
foot

Time
second

Mass
kilogram
slug

Force
newton
pound

Chapter 1 General Principles

3/29/16

Base Quantity

Units

Time

Second (s)

Mass

Kilogram (kg)

Length

Meter (m)

Temperature

Kelvin (K)

Amount of substance

Mole (Mol)

Electric current

Ampere (A)

Light intensity

Candela (cd)

DERIVED QUANTITIES
Derived quantity

Name

Symbol

Area

square meter

m2

Volume

cubic meter

m3

Speed, velocity

meter per second

m/s

Acceleration

meter per second squared

m/s2

Wave number

reciprocal meter

m-1

Mass density

kilogram per cubic meter

kg/m3

Specific volume

cubic meter per kilogram

m3/kg

Current density

ampere per square meter

A/m2

Magnetic field strength

ampere per meter

A/m

Amount-of-substance concentration

mole per cubic meter

mol/m3

Luminance

candela per square meter

cd/m2

Mass fraction

kilogram per kilogram, which may

be represented by the number 1

kg/kg = 1

Length
Needed to locate the position
of a point in space and describe
the size of a physical system.

Chapter 1 General Principles

3/29/16

Time
Conceived as a succession of
events. Concepts of STATICS
are time independent.

Chapter 1 General Principles

3/29/16

Mass
A property of matter by which we
can compare the action of one
body to another. This property
manifests itself as a gravitational
attraction between two bodies
and provide a qualitative
measure of the resistance of
matter to a change in velocity.
Chapter 1 General Principles

3/29/16

10

Force
Generally considered as a push of
a pull exerted by one body on
another. Interaction occurs when
there is direct contact between
the bodies. Gravitational,
electrical and magnetic forces do
not require direct contact. Force
is characterized by magnitude,
direction and point of application.
Chapter 1 General Principles

3/29/16

11

Units
1.

2.
3.

Basic quantities (force, mass,

length, time) are related by
Newtons second law.
Units used to measure quantities
are not all independent.
Three of four units, called base
units, are arbitrarily defined and the
fourth is derived.

Chapter 1 General Principles

3/29/16

12

SI Units
1.
2.

3.

Modern version of metric system.

Base units are length, time and mass,
meter (m), second (s), and kilogram
(kg)
Acceleration of gravity:

Chapter 1 General Principles

3/29/16

13

SI Units
4.

Force is derived quantity measured in

unit called a newton

Chapter 1 General Principles

3/29/16

14

Prefixes for SI units

Chapter 1 General Principles

3/29/16

15

Convert 2 km/h to m/s. How many ft/s is

this?
SOLUTION:
Since 1 km = 1000 m and 1 h = 3600 s, the conversion
factors are arranged so that a cancellation of units can be applied.

Recall that 1 ft = 0.3038 m

Chapter 1 General Principles

3/29/16

16

Example

If a car is traveling at a speed of 30.0 m/s, is it

exceeding the speed limit of 58 min/h?

Convert meters to miles:

m
30.0m / s 30.0
s

1.00mi
2

1.86 10 mi / s
1609m

Convert seconds to hours:

min

1.86 10 2 mi / s 1.86 10 2

66.96 min/ h

60.0

min

60.0

min