Guidelines for Drawing Free Body Diagrams (FBDs)

Importance of Proper FBDs

Free Body Diagrams (FDBs) are an important tool in engineering analysis and a cornerstone of
systematic implementation static and dynamic analysis for many machine design calculations.
I believe that about 80% of errors in machine design calculations are due to incorrect FBDs,
which lead to inaccurate equations and analysis.
What is a FBD?
A FBD is a drawing of an object or system of objects that shows all vector forces and moments
applied onto that object. Below is an FBD of a system consisting of a bicycle with rider.
Note that all forces shown are the external forces acting on the system, and the force
vectors are drawn in the direction in which they are applied onto the system. By drawing
forces properly the equations of motion and/or equilibrium directly correspond to what is
shown in the FBD.
Forces that are internal to the system being analyzed are NOT shown. For example in the FBD
of the Cyclist on Bicycle, pedal forces are not shown since they are internal forces.
However in the FBD of the Cyclist the pedal forces are shown, since they are external
forces applied onto the Cyclist. Note, that the Pedal forces are an equal and opposite force
in the FBD of the Bicycle, since contact forces always have an equal and opposite
reaction force.

SY
SX

HX
SY

FGC

T1
N1

FgC

FgB

HY

N2

FBD of Cyclist on Bicycle

FBD of Cyclist
Cyclist gravity force
FgC

FgB
T1
N1
N2

Bicycle gravity force

Traction force
Normal force 1
Normal force 2

HY

SX

HX

T1

P
SX
SY
Hx
HY

N1

Fgb

N2

FBD of Bicycle
Pedal Force
Seat Force X
Seat Force Y
Handlebar Force X
Handlebar Force - Y

Bicycle example inspired by Statics: Analysis and Design of Systems in Equilibrium by

Sheppard and Tongue

FBD Guidelines

Draw a separate figure for each FBD.

Title your FBD with the name of the part or system of parts being analyzed, since a single
analysis problem can have multiple FBDs. See the example FBDs of Cyclist on Bicycle,
Cyclist, and Bicycle.
Draw only external forces being applied onto the object being analyzed. The direction of the
force vectors should always be in the direction it is applied onto the object being analyzed.
This will ensure that that you avoid sign errors in your equations.
At every point where the object being analyzed touches an external part, there is the
potential for an applied force at that point. Consider all such contact points, and draw all
possible forces at those points. The only exception is where you can show that no force is
being transferred, such as with a frictionless surface which will have no force tangential to
the surface. In the Bicycle FBD above, there is a horizontal force at the rear wheel due to
driving traction between the ground and wheel, but there is no horizontal force at the front
wheel since it is assumed the front wheel rotates without friction.
Draw the force vectors at the locations where the force is being applied, or for a distributed
load a force vector can be drawn at the center of pressure.
Include a coordinate system on each FBD. This will ensure the equations match with the
figure.
For dynamic analysis, always show the Center-of-Mass of the object.

A large majority of machine design analysis occurs in 2D. Thus one needs to select the
appropriate plane to draw your FBD. Most 3D analysis can be done with a combination of
2D planar analysis.
Do not draw imaginary forces such as inertial or equivalent forces. While some texts do
so, they often lead to incorrect equations. In the FBD of the Bicycle above the weight of the
cyclist is not shown. In this example, we should not draw an imaginary cyclist weight, but
rather realize that the weight of the cyclist is reflected in the contact forces at the seat,
handlebars, and pedals.
Reoccurring cases (for examples see Some Notes on Free-Body Diagrams by Hallett)

Pinned and bolted joints can have forces in both the x and y directions.

Cables and belts apply only tension forces aligned with the cable or belt.

Visual Check of Your FBD

Visually add the forces in the x and y direction, and estimate clockwise and counter-clockwise
torques. If your object is in equilibrium there should be balanced forces and torques. If your
object is undergoing acceleration, there should be forces/torques in that direction.

Comments and Suggestions to N. Delson, ndelson@ucsd.edu