Mechanics
Mechanics is the branch of science concerned with the
behavior of physical bodies when subjected to forces or
displacements, and the subsequent effects of the bodies on
their environment.
Mechanics is divided into three branches as
•Rigid Body Mechanics
•Deformable Body Mechanics
•Fluid Mechanics
Mechanics
Statics is the branch of rigid body mechanics that is
concerned with the analysis of loads on physical systems in
static equilibrium, that is, in a state where the relative
positions of subsystems do not vary over time, or where
components and structures are at a constant velocity.
Dynamics is a branch of mechanics concerned with the
study of loads and their effect on motion.
Fundamental Concepts
Space - associated with the notion of the position of a point
P given in terms of three coordinates measured from a
reference point or origin.
Length used to define the position and size of a physical
system
Time - definition of an event requires specification of the
time and position at which it occurred.
Mass - used to characterize and compare bodies, e.g.,
response to earth’s gravitational attraction and resistance
to changes in translational motion.
Fundamental Concepts
Force - represents the action of one body on another. A force is
characterized by its point of application, magnitude, and
direction, i.e., a force is a vector quantity.
In Newtonian Mechanics, space, time, and mass are absolute
concepts, independent of each other. Force, however, is not
independent of the other three. The force acting on a body is
related to the mass of the body and the variation of its velocity
with time.
Mass and Weight
The mass m of a body is an absolute quantity that is
independent of the position of the body and independent of
the surroundings in which the body is placed .
The weight W of the body is the gravitational attraction
excreted on the body by the earth or by any other massive
body such as the moon. Therefore the weight of the body
depends on the position of the body relative to some other
body.
Weight obtained from Newton’s law of gravitational attraction
Mass and Weight
me m me is the mass of the earth
W g 2 mg re
re is the mean radius of the earth
W mg ( force)
me
g G 2 is the gravitational acceleration .
re
m
g 9.81 2
s
ft
g 32.2 2
s
G=universal constant for gravitation from experiments
m3
G 66.73 10 12
kgs 2
Newton’s Laws
Newton’s First Law:
A particle originally at rest, or moving in a straight line with
constant velocity will remain in the state provided the particle is
not subjected to an unbalanced force.
Newton’s Third Law:
For every action of a particle on another ,there is a reaction
equal in magnitude and opposite in sense acting along the same
line of the action .
F2 F 1
F F2 F 1
F ma
Newton’s Laws
Newton’s Second Law:
A particle acted upon by an unbalanced force F experiences an
acceleration a that has the same direction as the force and a
magnitude that is directly proportional to the force. If F is applied
to a particle of mass m, this law may be expressed
mathematically as:
F2 F 1
F F2 F 1 F1 m F2
F ma
Units of Measurement
Note that Newton’s second law of motion relates all the four basic
quantities of length, time, mass, and force
F ma
Therefore, their units are also related. In fact, by selecting three of
the units arbitrarily, the fourth can be derived.
lb
kg**sm2
sft
2
International system of units
Unit Length Time Mass Force
system
SI Meter Second Kilogram Newton (N)
Internation (m) (s) (Kg) (Derived
al system unit)
of units
FPS Foot Second Slug Pound
US units (ft) (s) (Derived (lb)
unit)
Measurement Systems and Units
Measurement Systems and Units
psf
psi
1 kip=1000 lb
General procedures for analysis in static’s
• Read the problem very carefully
• Draw the necessary diagrams
• Apply relevant principles
• Solve necessary equations. Pay special attention
to the units being used.
• Verify the obtained answer.
Example1-1
Convert 2 km/h to m/s. How many ft/s is this?
Solution:
Since 1 km =1000m and 1 h =3600s, the factors of conversion are
arranged in the following order, so that a cancellation of units can
be applied
From table 1-2 ft= .3048 m thus
2km 1000m 1h
2km / h .556m / s 0.556m * 1 ft
h km 3600s s 0.3048m
2000m 1.82 ft / s
0.566m / s
3600 s
Force Vectors
Force Vectors
2.1 Scalars and vectors
Physical quantities are expressed by means of scalars and
vectors.
Scalar: A quantity characterized by a positive or a negative
number.
Examples: mass, volume, length, etc
Vector: a quantity that has:
• A magnitude
•A direction, and
•A directional sense
Examples: position, force, and moment vectors.
r
A
Force Vectors
Geometrically, a vector is represented by an arrow in the following
manner:
•The length of the arrow represents the magnitude of the vector
•The angle , between a reference axis and the line of the arrow
represents the direction and Line of
•The arrow head represents the sense Action
Head
Tail θ Reference Axis
The vector is denoted as A or A
The magnitude of A is given by |A |
Force
Point of Application: B
Line of Action : AB
Direction: From A to B (down)
Magnitude : W
Vector Operations
Multiplication or Division by a Scalar
It only affects the magnitude of the vector.
Vector Addition
Parallelogram / Triangle Rule for Vector Addition
Vector Operations
Law of Cosines
Law of Sines
Vector Addition is Commutative
Vector Operations
Trapezoidal Rule for Vector Addition
Vector Operations
Vector Subtraction
It is essentially vector addition with the reverse
direction of the negative vector.
Resultants / Components
Concurrent forces: set of forces which all pass through the same
point. A set of concurrent forces applied to a particle may be
replaced by a single resultant force which is the vector sum of the
applied forces.
Vector force components: two or more force vectors which,
together, have the same effect as a single force vector.
Example 1
Two solutions;
Graphical solution - construct a
parallelogram with sides in the same
direction as P and Q and lengths in
proportion. Graphically evaluate the
resultant which is equivalent in direction
and proportional in magnitude to the the
diagonal.
Trigonometric solution - use the triangle
rule for vector addition in conjunction with
the law of cosines and law of sines to find
the resultant.
Solution
Law of Cosines
Solution
Law of Sines
Example 2
Solution 2
Solution 2
Rectangular Components of a Force
May resolve a force vector into perpendicular components
so that the resulting parallelogram is a rectangle. and
are referred to as rectangular vector components and
Define perpendicular unit vectors and which are
parallel to the x and y axes.
Vector components may be expressed as products of the unit
vectors with the scalar magnitudes of the vector components.
Addition of Forces by Summing Components
Example 3
Find the resultant force
Solution 3
Example 4
Find the resultant force
Solution 4
Rectangular Components in Space
Rectangular Components in Space
Position Vectors
Example 5
Determine the magnitude and the direction of the position vector extending
from A to B
Z B
Point coordinates:
2m A: (1,0,-3)
B: (-2,2,3)
2m
3m
A 1m
Example 5
3
cos 1 115
0
7
2
cos 1 73.4 0
7
6
cos 1 31.0 0
7
, ,
Example
Equilibrium of a Particle
A particle is in equilibrium if “It is at rest and originally at rest has a constant
velocity and originally in motion”
The term static equilibrium is used to describe an object at rest
To maintain equilibrium an object must satisfy Newton’s fist law of motion:
Resultant of forces acting on a particle is Zero
Equilibrium of a Particle
Free Body Diagram vs Space Diagram
A free body diagram is a sketch of a particle, which represents it as being isolated
“free” from its surroundings.
Procedure for Drawing FBD
To account for all forces, it is very important to draw a free body diagram before applying
the equation of equilibrium
use the following steps:
Imagine the particle to be isolated and draw or sketch its outlined shape
Indicate on the sketch all the forces that act on the particle.
There are 2 types of forces:
Active forces: tend to set the particle in motion .eg; Weight, magnetic field
interaction etc
Relative forces: Tend to prevent motion usually caused by restraint or supports
Label known forces with there magnitude and direction
Label unknown forces with letters
Assume the sense of unknown forces: if after solving a negative magnitude is found
then the force is acting in the opposite of the assumed sense
Example
Equilibrium of a Particle in 3D
z
Example
C
The 25-kg flowerpot is supported
at A by the three cords . Determine
600 B the forces acting in each cord of
300 equilibrium
D 300
Y
A
FAD FAD (sin 30 0 i cos 30 0 sin 60 0 j cos 30 0 cos 60 0 k )
0.5 FAD i 0.75FAD j 0.433FAD k
FAC FAC ( sin 30 0 i cos 30 0 sin 60 0 j cos 30 0 cos 60 0 k )
0.5FAC i 0.75 FAC j 0.4330 FAC k
FAB FAB (sin 45 0 j cos 45 0 k ) 0.707 FAB j 0.7071FAB k
F 25(9.81)k 245.25k N
F 0
FAD FAB FAC F 0
(0.5 FAD i 0.75 FAD j 0.4330 FAD k ) (0.707 FAB j 0.707 FAB k )
(0.5 FAC i 0.75 FAC j 0.4330 FAC k ) (245.25k ) 0
(0.5 FAD 0.5FAC )i (0.75 FAD 0.7071FAB 0.75 F AC ) j
(0.4330 FAD 0.7071FAB 0.4330 FAC 245.25)k 0
F X 0
0.5 FAD 0.5 FAc 0 FAD FAC 104 N
F y 0 FAB 220 N
0.75FAD 0.7070 FAB 0.75FAC 0
F Z 0
0.4330 FAD 0.7071FAB 0.4333FAC 245.25 0
