CHAPTER-2

FORCE VECTORS
MMET-275
Mechanics for Technologists
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CONTENT MAP: MMET-275

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CHAPTER-2 OBJECTIVES

• Parallelogram Law
• Cartesian vector form
• Dot product

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CHAPTER-2 OUTLINE

2.1 Scalars & Vectors

2.2 Vector Operations
2.3 Vector Addition of Forces (Parallelogram Law)
2.4 Addition of a System of Coplanar Forces
2.5 Cartesian Vectors
2.6 Addition & Subtraction of Cartesian Vectors
2.7 Position Vectors
2.8 Force Vector Directed along a Line
2.9 Dot Product

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2.1 SCALARS AND VECTORS

• Scalar
– A quantity characterized by a positive or
negative number
e.g. Mass, volume, length …
More examples?

(Has a magnitude, but no direction)

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2.1 SCALARS AND VECTORS

• Vector
– A quantity that has magnitude & direction
e.g. Position, force, moment, …

– Represented by a letter with an arrow over it, A

– Magnitude is designated as A

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2.2 VECTOR OPERATIONS

• Multiplication and Division of a Vector by a Scalar

- Product of vector A and scalar a = aA
- Magnitude = aA
- Law of multiplication applies e.g. A/a = ( 1/a ) A, a≠0

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2.2 VECTOR OPERATIONS

• Vector Addition
- Addition of two vectors A and B gives a
resultant vector R by the parallelogram law
- Result R can be found by triangle construction
- Commutative: i.e. R = A + B = B + A
- Special case: Vectors A and B are collinear (both
have the same line of action)

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2.2 VECTOR OPERATIONS

• Vector Subtraction
- Special case of addition
e.g. R’ = A – B = A + ( - B )
- Rules of Vector Addition Applies

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2.3 VECTOR ADDITION OF FORCES

Finding a Resultant Force

• Parallelogram law is carried out to find the
resultant force

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2.3 VECTOR ADDITION OF FORCES

Procedure for Analysis - Parallelogram Law

⁻ Make a sketch using the parallelogram law
⁻ 2 component forces add to form the resultant force
⁻ Resultant force is shown by the diagonal of the
parallelogram
⁻ The components are shown by the sides of the
parallelogram

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2.3 VECTOR ADDITION OF FORCES

Procedure for Analysis - Trigonometry

⁻ Redraw half portion of the parallelogram
⁻ Magnitude of the resultant force can be determined by the
law of cosines
⁻ Direction of the resultant force is found by the law of sines
⁻ Magnitude of the two components can be determined by
the law of sines

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2.3 VECTOR ADDITION OF FORCES

Procedure for Analysis - Trigonometry

⁻ Law of cosines
⁻ Law of sines

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Edition
Eighth
Vector Mechanics for Engineers: Statics
Addition of Several Vectors (or Forces)
• Addition of three or more vectors through
repeated application of the triangle rule

• The polygon rule for the addition of three or

more vectors.
• Vector addition is associative,
        
P  Q  S  P  Q   S  P  Q  S 

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Edition
Eighth
Vector Mechanics for Engineers: Statics
Resultant of Several Concurrent Forces
• 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.

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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EXAMPLE

The screw eye is subjected to two forces, F1 and F2.

Determine the magnitude & direction of the
resultant force.

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EXAMPLE

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SOLUTION

Trigonometry
Law of Cosines

FR  100 N   150 N   2 100 N 150 N  cos115

2 2

 10000  22500  30000  0.4226   212.6 N

Law of Sines
150 N 212 .6 N

sin  sin 115 
sin  
150 N
0.9063 
212 .6 N
  39 .8

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SOLUTION

Trigonometry
Direction Φ of FR measured from the horizontal

  39.8  15 
 54 .8 

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2.3 RESOLUTION OF FORCES

• Resolve along the x, y axes

• Resolve along the u, v axes

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EXAMPLE: RESOLVE FORCE ALONG X, Y AXES

Fx  1000 cos 40   766 N

Fy  1000 sin 40   643 N
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EXAMPLE: RESOLVE FORCE ALONG X’, Y AXES

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EXAMPLE: RESOLVE FORCE ALONG X’, Y AXES

Fx ' 1000 N Fy 1000 N

 ; 
sin 50 sin 60 sin 70 sin 60
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ICE_2.3_1

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ICE_2.3_2

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ICE_2.3_2

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ICE_2.3_3

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READ & CONFIRM YOUR UNDERSTANDING…

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IMPORTANT POINTS

• Scalars & Vectors

• Vector Operations (+, -, *, /)
• Resultant & Resolution of Force Vectors
• Parallelogram + Triangle Laws (Sine/Cosine laws)

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• https://ecourses.ou.edu/cgi-
bin/ebook.cgi?doc=&topic=st&chap_sec=02.1&page=case_intro
• https://ecourses.ou.edu/cgi-
bin/ebook.cgi?doc=&topic=st&chap_sec=02.2&page=case_intro
• http://www.feexam.ou.edu/
• http://www.statics.com/

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