ENGINEERING

MECHANICS

Statics of Rigid Bodies

MOMENT OF FORCE
Lec # 4 Ref. Pytel
Reminders
MOMENT OF A FORCE ABOUT A POINT

 the tendency of a force to

rotate a body
 This rotational effect depends
on the magnitude of the force
and the distance between the
point and the line of action of
the force

(Vector)
MOMENT OF A FORCE ABOUT A POINT

 Geometric Interpretation

(Scalar)

where;:
d = moment arm
MOMENT OF A FORCE ABOUT A POINT

Counterclockwise, Using the right-hand rule, the vector

Scalar representation
MOMENT OF A FORCE ABOUT A POINT

Clockwise, Scalar Using the right-hand rule, the vector

representation
Varignon’s theorem:

The moment of a force about a point is equal to the sum of the

moments of its components about that point.
Vector and Scalar Methods

 Vector Method
Where;
r is a vector from point O to any point on
the line of action of F.
Vector and Scalar Methods

 Scalar Method

Where;
d is the moment arm of the force.
Problem #1

Determine the moment of the force F in Fig. about point A.

Problem #2

Calculate the magnitude of the moment about the base point O

of the 600-N force in five different ways.
Problem #2

Calculate the magnitude of the moment about the base point O

of the 600-N force in five different ways.
Problem #2

Calculate the magnitude of the moment about the base point O

of the 600-N force in five different ways.
Problem #2

Calculate the magnitude of the moment about the base point O

of the 600-N force in five different ways.
Problem #3

Calculate the magnitude of the moment about the base point O

of the 600-N force in five different ways.
Problem #2

Calculate the magnitude of the moment about the base point O

of the 600-N force in five different ways.
Moment about an axis
 The moment of F about the axis AB is the orthogonal component of MO
along the axis AB, where O is any point on AB.
Letting λ be a unit vector directed from A toward B, this definition gives for
the moment of F about the axis AB

where α is the angle between MO and λ

Because MO cos α =MO ·λ (from the definition

of the dot product),
Moment about an axis
Moment about an axis

Note that the direction of λ determines the positive sense of MAB by the
right-hand rule, as illustrated
Moment about an axis

Rectangular components of MO
Let MO be the moment of a force F about O, where O is the origin of the
xyz-coordinate system.
Moment about an axis

Special Case: Moment Axis Perpendicular to F

Couple
 The moment produced by two equal, opposite, and non collinear forces
Geometric interpretation
Geometric interpretation
Consideration of Eq. (2.15) reveals that the moment of a
force about an axis, as defined in Eq. (2.10), possesses the
following physical characteristics:
 A force that is parallel to the moment axis (such as F1)
has no moment about that axis.
 If the line of action of a force intersects the moment axis
(d =0), the force has no moment about that axis.
 The moment of a force is proportional to its component
that is perpendicular to the moment axis (such as F2),
and the moment arm (d) of that component.
 The sense of the moment is consistent with the direction
in which the force would tend to rotate a body.
Eq. (2.10),

Eq. (2.15)
Vector and scalar methods
Vector Method where

r is a vector drawn from any point on the moment axis AB to

𝑀𝐴𝐵 = 𝑟 𝑥 𝐹. 𝜆 any point on the line of action of F and

λ represents a unit directed from A toward B. A convenient

means of evaluating the scalar triple product is its
determinant form

x, y, and z are the rectangular components of r.

Vector and scalar methods
Scalar Method where

The sense of the moment must be determined

by inspection.
𝑀𝐴𝐵 = 𝐹2 𝑑 This method is convenient if AB is parallel to
one of the coordinate axes (which is always the
case in two-dimensional problems).
Problem #3
The force F of magnitude 195 kN acts along the line AB.
(1) Determine the moments Mx , My , and Mz of F about the coordinate axes by the
scalar method; and
(2) find the moment of F about point O by the vector method and verify that
MO = Mx i + My j + Mzk.
Problem #3
The force F of magnitude 195 kN acts along the line AB.
(1) Determine the moments Mx , My , and Mz of F about the coordinate axes by the
scalar method;

Moment about the x-Axis

Problem #3
The force F of magnitude 195 kN acts along the line AB.
(1) Determine the moments Mx , My , and Mz of F about the coordinate axes by the
scalar method; and

Moment about the y-Axis

Problem #3
The force F of magnitude 195 kN acts along the line AB.
(1) Determine the moments Mx , My , and Mz of F about the coordinate axes by the
scalar method; and

Moment about the z-Axis

The moment of F about the z-axis is

zero,
Because F intersects that axis. Hence

Mz =0
Problem #3
The force F of magnitude 195 kN acts along the line AB.
find the moment of F about point O by the vector method and verify that
MO = Mx i + My j + Mzk.

Part 2 r OA = 4k m,
Problem#4
A small boat hangs from two davits, one of which is shown. The tension in line
ABAD is 82 lb. Determine the moment about C of the resultant force R A
exerted on the davit at A.
Couples

Two parallel, noncollinear forces that are equal in magnitude and

opposite in direction are known as a couple.
Moment of a couple about a point

The moment of a couple about a point is the sum of the moments of the
two forces that form the couple

Vector Calculation
Moment of a couple about a point

The moment of a couple about a point is the sum of the moments of the
two forces that form the couple
Scalar Calculation
Couple possesses two important
characteristics:
(1) A couple has no resultant force (F=0), and

2) the moment of a couple is the same about any

point in the plane of the couple.
Equivalent couples

The operations are

1. Changing the magnitude F of each force and the perpendicular distance d while
keeping the product Fd constant

2. Rotating the couple in its plane

3. Moving the couple to a parallel position in its plane

4. Moving the couple to a parallel plane

Equivalent couples
Equivalent couples
Equivalent Couples
Notation and terminology
The addition and resolution of couples
Because couples are vectors, they may be added by the usual rules of vector addition. Being free
vectors, the requirement that the couples to be added must have a common point of application
does not apply. This is in contrast to the addition of forces, which can be added only if they are
concurrent. Concurrency is also required for the addition of moments of forces about points,
because these are fixed to a moment center. It follows that we must be careful when representing
moments of forces and couples as vectors—it is easy to confuse these two concepts.

To minimize the possibility of confusion, we will use M to denote moments of forces and reserve C
for couples. The resolution of couples is no different than the resolution of moments of forces. For
example, the moment of a couple C about an axis AB can be computed
from Eq. (2.11)

by replacing MO with C:
Changing the Line of Action of Force
Steps in Construction of couple

 Introduce two equal and opposite forces of magnitude F at

point A, as shown in Fig. 2.18(b). These forces are parallel to
the original force at B. Because the forces at A have no net
external effect on a rigid body, the force systems in Figs.
2.18(a) and (b) are equivalent.
 Identify the two forces that form a couple, as has been done
in Fig. 2.18(c). The magnitude of this couple is CT = Fd,
where d is the distance between the lines of action of the
forces at A and B. The third force and CT thus constitute the
force-couple system shown in Fig. 2.18(d), which is
equivalent to the original force in Fig. 2.18(a).
Couple of Transfer, CT

 The couple of
transfer is equal
to the moment
of the original
force (acting at
B) about the
transfer point A.
Problem#3

Which of the systems are equivalent to the couple in (a)?

Problem#3

Which of the systems are equivalent to the couple in (a)?

Problem#3

Which of the systems are equivalent to the couple in (a)?

Problem#4

A section of a piping system is acted on by the three couples shown. Determine the
magnitude of the resultant couple-vector CR and its direction cosines, given that the
magnitudes of the applied couples are C1 = 50 N.m, C2 = 90 N.m, and C3 = 140 N.m
For the machine part shown, replace the applied load of 150 kN acting
at point A by an equivalent force-couple system with the force acting at
point B;
Problem #5

The magnitudes of the force P and couple C are 500 lb and 1200 lb · ft,
respectively. Calculate the combined moment of P and C about (a) the
origin O; and (b) the axis OF.
Reminders
Library Work

 Discuss the following; Submission: July 08, 2019

 1. Moment of Force
CE-205; 12:20pm
 2. Moment of force in a point CE-206; 01:25pm
 3. Moment of force about an axis CE-208; 02:30pm

 4. Rectangular components of the moment of a force about the origin O

 5. Vector and scalar methods
 6. Couples
 7. Moment of a couple about a point
 8. Equivalent couples
 9. Changing the line of action of a Force
 10. Give 5 sample problem from different reference Book