MOMENT OF A FORCE

ABOUT A POINT
CENG 22 STATICS OF RIGID BODIES
PREPARED BY: ENGR. KATHERINE GRACE J. PENA
OBJECTIVES
AT THE END OF THIS TOPIC THE STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO:
Explain the vector operations such as vector cross and dot
product
Analyze and solve problems regarding moment of a force
about a point and about an axis.
Solve problems concerning moment of a force about a point
in 2-D and 3-D structures
INTRODUCTION
Concept of the moment of a force about a point is more easily
understood through applications of the vector product or cross
product.

Vector product of two vectors P and Q is defined

as the vector V which satisfies the following
conditions:
1.Line of action of V is perpendicular to plane
containing P and Q.
2.Magnitude of V is
3.Direction of V is obtained from the right-hand
rule.
RECTANGULAR COMPONENTS
Vector products of Cartesian unit vectors,

i i 0 j i k k i j

i j k j j 0 k j i

i k j j k i k k 0
Vector products in terms of rectangular
coordinates


V Px i Py j Pz k Qx i Q y j Qz k

Py Qz Pz Q y i Pz Qx Px Qz j


Px Q y Py Qx k

i j k
Px Py Pz
Qx Q y Qz
 MOMENT OF A FORCE ABOUT A POINT
The moment of F about O is defined as
MO r F

The moment vector MO is perpendicular to the

plane containing O and the force F.

Magnitude of MO measures the tendency of the force

to cause rotation of the body about an axis along MO.
M O rF sin Fd
The sense of the moment may be determined by the
right-hand rule.
SIGN CONVENTION
The plane of the structure contains the point O and the
force F. MO, the moment of the force about O is
perpendicular to the plane.

If the force tends to rotate the structure clockwise, the

sense of the moment vector is out of the plane of the
structure and the magnitude of the moment is positive.

If the force tends to rotate the structure counterclockwise,

the sense of the moment vector is into the plane of the
structure and the magnitude of the moment is negative.
VARIGNONS THEOREM
The moment about a give point O of the
resultant of several concurrent forces is equal to
the sum of the moments of the various moments
about the same point O.

r F1 F2 r F1 r F2
Varigons Theorem makes it possible to replace
the direct determination of the moment of a
force F by the moments of two or more
component forces of F.
The moment of F about O,

M O r F , r xi yj zk

F Fx i Fy j Fz k

M O M xi M y j M z k

i j k
x y z
Fx Fy Fz

yFz zFy i zFx xFz j xFy yFx k

For two-dimensional structures,



M O xFy yFz k
MO M Z
xFy yFz

M O x A x B Fy y A y B Fz k
MO M Z
x A x B Fy y A y B Fz
PROBLEM:
A 100-lb vertical force is applied to the end of a lever which
is attached to a shaft at O.
Determine:
a) moment about O,
b) horizontal force at A which creates the same moment,
c) smallest force at A which produces the same moment,
d) location for a 240-lb vertical force to produce the same
moment,
e) whether any of the forces from b, c, and d is equivalent
to the original force.
c) Horizontal force at A that produces the same
moment,

d 24 in. sin 60 20.8 in.

M O Fd
1200 lb in. F 20.8 in.
1200 lb in.
F
20.8 in.

F 57.7 lb
c) The smallest force A to produce the same moment
occurs when the perpendicular distance is a
maximum or when F is perpendicular to OA.

M O Fd
1200 lb in. F 24 in.
1200 lb in.
F
24 in.
F 50 lb
d) To determine the point of application of a 240 lb
force to produce the same moment,

M O Fd
1200 lb in. 240 lbd
1200 lb in.
d 5 in.
240 lb
OB cos60 5 in. OB 10 in.
e) Although each of the forces in parts b), c), and d)
produces the same moment as the 100 lb force, none
are of the same magnitude and sense, or on the same
line of action. None of the forces is equivalent to the
100 lb force.
 SOLUTION:
The moment MA of the force F exerted
by the wire is obtained by evaluating
the vector product,

M A rC A F
The rectangular plate is supported by
the brackets at A and B and by a wire
CD. Knowing that the tension in the
wire is 200 N, determine the moment
about A of the force exerted by the
wire at C.
SOLUTION:

M A rC A F

rC A rC rA 0.3 mi 0.08 m j

rC D
F F 200 N
rC D

0.3 m i 0.24 m j 0.32 m k
200 N
0.5 m

120 N i 96 N j 128 N k

i j k

M A 0.3 0 0.08
120 96 128

M A 7.68 N m i 28.8 N m j 28.8 N m k