FORCES

TYPES OF FORCES
Forces: A variety of forces are investigated to show that forces can change
either the shape of an object or its motion. Both balanced and unbalanced
forces are considered.

Types: Internal and External forces

Examples: Tension (stretch) AND Compression (crush)

Gravitational pull
Constant Force

Bending

Tension

Torsion (twisting)

External/Internal forces

External force = stresses that act on the structure from the outside of
the structure. External force produce internal forces. Example: gravity
Internal force = reaction forces that act from the inside of the material.
Example: compression, tension and shear forces.

Classification of forces
Colinear: Forces acting along the same line of action. The
magnitude of a single equivalent force is the same as the sum
of the colinear forces
Concurrent: Pass through the same point in space

Coplanar: Lie in the same plane

 Coplanar force = all the forces acting in in one plane.

They may be concurrent, parallel, non-concurrent or non-parallel.
All of these systems can be resolved by using graphic statics or algebra.

A parallel coplanar force system consists of two or more

forces whose lines of action are ALL parallel.

These vectors do not meet at a single point (nonconcurrent) and none of them are parallel (non-parallel).

Resultant

COMPOSITION AND RESOLUTION OF FORCES

It is possible to find a single force, which will have the same
effect as that of a number of forces acting on a body
Such a single force is called Resultant force and the process or
method of finding out the resultant force is called composition of
forces
If several coplanar (lie in the same plane) forces F1, F2, F3, . . .,
are applied to a body at one point, they represent a system of
forces that can be reduced to a single resultant force. It then
becomes possible to find this resultant by successive applications
of the parallelogram law.
REVISE = vectors!!!

Successive applications of parallelogram law:

 For example, the four forces F1, F2, F3, and F4 acting on a body at point
A (Fig. 1a).
To find their resultant (R), we begin by obtaining the resultant AC of
the two forces F1 and F2. Combining this resultant with the force F3, we
obtain the resultant AD, which must be equivalent to F1, F2, and F3.
Finally combining the forces AD and F4, we obtain the resultant R of the
given system F1-F4.
The same resultant R will be obtained by successive geometric
addition as shown above in Fig.1b.
In this case we begin with the vector AB representing the force F1.
From the end B of this vector we construct the vector BC, representing
the force F2, and afterward, the vectors CD and DE representing the
forces F3 and F4 respectively.
In the polygon ABCDE obtained in this way, the vector AE gives the
resultant R.
The polygon ABCDE is called the polygon of forces.

Free Body Diagram (FBD)

A graphical sketch of the system showing all
external/reaction forces and moments applied to the
system.
Benefits:
1)Provides a catalog of all force/moments acting on
the particle
2) Provides a graphical display of known information
(force/moment magnitudes, directions and line of
actions)
3)Provides a record of the geometric dimensions
needed for establishing moments of the forces

If we have a set of concurrent forces (pass

through same point), we can resolve these
forces into a single force
REVISE = vectors!!!
To compute the resultant of several concurrent
forces:
Determine the angle of each force with
respect to x and/or y axis
Find x and y components for each force
Find sum of colinear forces (Fx, Fy, Fz)

Composition of Forces by Method of Resolution

Let P1, P2, P3, and P4 are the forces of a system as shown. Components of
these forces are shown in x- and y- direction

X = P1x + P2x + P3x + P4x

Y = P1y + P2y + P3y + P4y
Magnitude, R = [(X)2 + ( Y)2]1/2
(rearranged from R = X + Y)

And its inclination to x-axis is given by:

= tan-1 (Y/X)

Example 1 Concurrent, Coplanar Forces

In this simple structure, a 500 lb. load is supported by two cables, which in turn
are attached to walls. Determine the forces (tensions) in each cable.

From Diagram-1, it is clear that, this problem may be classified as a problem

involving Concurrent, Coplanar Forces.

Concurrent: The vectors representing the two support forces in Cable 1 and
Cable 2, and the vector representing the load force all intersect at one point
(Point C, See Diagram 2).
Coplanar: This is a 2-D problem, that is forces lie in the x-y plane only.

1.

2.

Draw a Free Body Diagram (FBD) of the structure or a portion of the structure. This
Free Body Diagram should include a coordinate system and vectors representing all the
external forces (which include support forces and load forces) acting on the structure.
These forces should be labeled either with actual known values or symbols
representing unknown forces.
Diagram 2 is the Free Body Diagram of point C with all forces acting on point C shown
and labeled.

3. Resolve (break) forces into their x and y components. Notice that T1, and T2, the
vectors representing the tensions in the cables are acting at angles with respect to the xaxis, that is, they are not simply in the x or y direction. Thus for the forces T1, T2, we must
replace them with their horizontal and vertical components. In Diagram 3, the
components of T1 and T2 are shown.

Since the components of T1 and T2 (T1 sin 53o, T1 cos 53o, T2 sin 30o, T2 cos 30o) are
equivalent to T1 and T2, in the final Diagram 4, remove T1 and T2 which are now
represented by their components. Notice that we do not have to do this for the load force
of 500 lb., since it is already acting in the y-direction only.

4. Apply the Equilibrium Conditions and solve for unknowns. In this step, apply the
actual equilibrium equations. Since the problem is in 2-D only (coplanar) we have the
following two equilibrium conditions:
The sum of the forces in the x direction, and the sum of the forces in the y direction
must be zero.
5. We now place our forces into these equations, remembering to put the correct +ve
and ve sign with the force.

= ????
= ????

ANS: T1 = 436 lb.; T2 = 303 lb

Draw the FBD of an object sliding along a

linear x-axis with a force of 100 N.

EXAMPLE: A block of mass m is at rest on a rough incline of angle . Find

the contact forces and the net contact force on the block.
A block on an incline

Forces on the block

The forces on the block are: (i) its weight; (ii) normal force; and (iii) Friction force. These
forces are not concurrent (see above figure).
However, no turning effect is involved. We can, therefore, treat force system concurrent
with the "center of mass" of the block. In order to analyze the forces, we consider a
coordinate system as shown in the figure.

Free body diagram

Forces are shown with block as a
point with concurrent forces

Since the block is at rest, the forces on the block are balanced :
Fx=mgsinFf=0
Fy=Nmgcos=0
There are two contact forces (i) normal force and (ii) friction. The friction is given by the first
equation : Ff=mgsin
The normal force is given by the second equation : N=mgcos
The net contact force is vector sum of two contact forces,
Fc = N + Fr
Hence, magnitude of net contact force is :
FC = [
(N2+Ff2)]1/2
= [(mg cos) + (mg sin)]
=[
(mg) 2(cos2+sin2) ]1/2
FC =mg