Statics 1

CREATING & OBSERVING FORCES

Background
Working with forces is at the heart of statics. In fact, statics could be described as the study of the effects of forces on simple structures. It is very important, therefore, that engineers underhand how forces affect structures and are familiar with how they are represented in analysis and design.

Learning Objective
In this exercise we will learn the mechanisms that StaticsVisualizer supports to define, manipulate, and observe forces. In addition to providing a basic skill set for working through later exercises, this worksheet will also give a few alternative perspectives on the nature of forces as vectors.

Configuration
Similar to the physical world, StaticsVisualizer requires that forces be applied to something (i.e., one cannot create an unattached force in space). Therefore, we will start with a simple support to which we will be able to apply forces.

StaticsVisualizer File
Statics 1a: This file matches the very simple configuration shown below.

A support to receive forces

Things to Do
1. Choose the point load tool by clicking on the corresponding button in the tool palette.

A note on terminology

In engineering contexts, forces that are applied externally to objects are typically called loads. This is where the name point load tool comes from. StaticsVisualizer shows externally applied loads using the color red. 2. Click on the support and then drag to create an applied load As long as you continue to drag, the load will track the mouse, and there will be feedback at the bottom of the StaticsVisualizer window indicating the forces current magnitude and direction.

Software tip

As in the case of most common graphics programs, holding down the shift key while dragging will cause the load orientation to snap to 15 increments. 3. Use the Show Force Values command in the Options:Force & Moment Display menu to have your forces magnitude labeled directly. Click again on the force you have already created (its easiest clicking on the arrowhead) and drag around some morenote how the magnitude label tracks the arrow. To change units, select the Units command from the Options menu. You can change either all the units simultaneously using the U.S./S.I. buttons, or change individual units as desired. Use the S.I. button to change to common S.I. units, and then click OK to dismiss the dialog. Does changing the units change the displayed length of the force? yes no. Explain why or why not. Open the dialog again, set the units back to U.S., and set the rotation unit to degrees rather than radians.

4.

5.

Whenever we draw forces against a background representing the geometry of a physical system, the scaling we use for our arrows is arbitrary. One way to think about this is to note that the units of the

background are length, while the units of the forces are forcethere is no natural unit force/unit length scale, so we can use whatever we like to make our figures look reasonable. To adjust/modify Dr. Statics force scale, click and hold the appropriate force scale button: = decrease/increase respectively. Go ahead and try these buttons outthey will prove quite useful on many occasions. Does changing the force scale change the displayed length of the force? yes no. Does it change the displayed magnitude? yes no. Explain how these observations are consistent.

6.

As you probably already know, it is very useful to be able to break vectors down into components. Adjust your force, if necessary, so that it is not co-linear with the vertical or horizontal direction, and then choose the x-y Decomposition command from the Options:Vector Decomposition menu (or just type 2 for a shortcut). Your force will now be displayed in terms of its x-y components. You can still select and manipulate the force (try it), although the manipulation might feel a little quirkyremember, even though the force is drawn decomposed, you still manipulate the force as a unit. Choose the No Decomposition command from the Options:Vector Decomposition menu (or just type 1) to return to the original display. If you are curious about the remaining decomposition option, stay tuned, it will become relevant in the discussion of internal forces.

7.

Creating forces using the mouse can be convenient and closely analogous to pushing and pulling on real objects. Nevertheless, there are many occasions when direct numerical entry of data is more appropriate. To get directly to a loads numerical data, select the load in question by clicking on it (as you may have noted already, it will become highlighted when selected), and then choose Object Info command from the Info menu. You can also just double-click (or right-click on a Windows machine) on the object in question. Either way, you will see a dialog box that allows you to enter directly either magnitude and direction information, or x-y components. Try out the dialog by entering each of the following (use the Preview button to the results of any changes you make without having to close the dialog): A 100-lb. force acting along a line 30 up from horizontal. F = 30i + 90j lbs. A 200-lb. force acting along the hypotenuse of a 3-4-5 triangle. Hit the OK button to dismiss the dialog when you are finished. To remove a load, simply select it and type the delete or backspace key.

Summary

Forces can be applied to objects by clicking and dragging or by direct numerical input. Forces can be viewed in terms of magnitude and direction or in terms of x- and y-components. Various units are available, along with scaling and labeling options. Forces can be removed using the delete/backspace key. 1.

On Your Own
Imagine a skidding tire of a car trying to stop. Where is the force between the ground and the tire transferred? What are the components of this force? Do they have special names? What is the overall direction of the force vector of the ground on the tire? Can you think of three examples where knowing the components of a force is useful?

2.