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Name

MECH 223 – Engineering Statics

Final Exam, December 17th 2015

Question 1 (20 + 5 points)

(a) (10 points) In each of the two following examples, in the column to the right, draw a free
body diagram (FBD) of the body to be isolated, shown in the middle column. Dimensions
and numerical values are omitted for simplicity.

Description Body to be Isolated FBD

Boom OA, of negligible mass
compared with mass m.
Boom hinged at O and
supported by hoisting cable at
B.

Bent rod welded to support at

A and subjected to two forces
and couple

Lawn roller of mass m

being pushed up
incline θ (assume no
slipping of the roller)
Pry bar lifting body A having
smooth horizontal surface.
Bar rests on horizontal rough
surface.
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(b) (6 points) Draw the corresponding

Free Body Diagrams for the three
following cases

(c) (4 points) Explain why the triple product of three vectors is equal to zero if the vectors
are coplanar.

Answer: Two possible explanations:

1. The first explanation is based on the physical interpretation of the triple product as the
volume of the parallelepiped created by the three vectors. If all the vectors are
coplanar, that volume is zero.
2. The second explanation utilizes properties of the cross and the dot product. We know
that the cross product produces a vector perpendicular to the plane in which the two
vectors lie. If all the vectors are coplanar, that means that the cross product is also
perpendicular to the third vector. We know that the dot product of two perpendicular
vectors is zero by definition (𝐵̅ ∙ 𝐶̅ = |𝐵̅ | ∙ |𝐶̅ | ∙ cos 𝜃 and cos 90° = 0). Which means
that the triple product of coplanar vectors is zero.
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(d) (Bonus - 5 points) Form the scalar product 𝐵̅ ∙ 𝐶̅ and use the
result to prove the identity
𝐜𝐨𝐬(𝜶 − 𝜷) = 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝜶 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝜷 + 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝜶 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝜷

Answer: By definition the dot product of 𝐵̅ ∙ 𝐶̅ is |𝐵̅ | ∙ |𝐶̅ | ∙ cos 𝜃

where
θ is the angle between the two vectors when they are joined tail to tail. In the case of the
figure in this problem θ=α-β ⇒ 𝐵̅ ∙ 𝐶̅ = |𝐵̅ | ∙ |𝐶̅ | ∙ cos(𝛼 − 𝛽). On the other hand we can
do a dot product by Cartesian components of each vector. 𝐵̅ = |𝐵̅ |(cos 𝛼 ∙ 𝒊̅ + sin 𝛼 ∙ 𝒋̅) and
𝐶̅ = |𝐶̅ |(cos 𝛽 ∙ 𝒊̅ + sin 𝛽 ∙ 𝒋̅). ⇒ 𝐵̅ ∙ 𝐶̅ = |𝐵̅ | ∙ |𝐶̅ |(cos 𝛼 cos 𝛽 + sin 𝛼 sin 𝛽). Equating the
two results produces |𝐵̅ | ∙ |𝐶̅ | ∙ cos(𝛼 − 𝛽) = |𝐵̅ | ∙ |𝐶̅ |(cos 𝛼 cos 𝛽 + sin 𝛼 sin 𝛽)

⇒ 𝐜𝐨𝐬(𝜶 − 𝜷) = (𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝜶 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝜷 + 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝜶 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝜷) QED

Question 2 (20 + 5 points) For the shape in the drawing:

(a) (10 points) By integration find the x location of the

centroid (assume constant density). Solutions by other
means will not carry any points!

Solution:

2𝑏
By plugging point (a, 2b) into the parabolic formula = 𝑎2 ; The formula for the straight line (top
𝑏
border of the triangle) is 𝑦 = − 𝑎 𝑥 + 2𝑏.

We can use either a vertical or a horizontal strip. For a vertical strip, integration variable is x.
xel=x
𝑎
2𝑏 𝑎 𝑎 2𝑏 2𝑏𝑥 3 2
For the gray area: 𝑑𝐴 = 𝑎2 𝑥 2 𝑑𝑥 ; 𝐴1 = ∫0 𝑑𝐴 = ∫0 𝑥 2 𝑑𝑥 = [ 3𝑎2 ] = 3 𝑏𝑎
𝑎2 0
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𝑏 2𝑎 2𝑎 𝑏
For the triangle: 𝐴 = (− 𝑎 𝑥 + 2𝑏) 𝑑𝑥 ; 𝐴2 = ∫𝑎 𝑑𝐴 = ∫𝑎 (− 𝑎 𝑥 + 2𝑏) 𝑑𝑥 =
2𝑎
−𝑏𝑥 2 1 1
[ + 2𝑏𝑥] = −2𝑏𝑎 + 4𝑏𝑎 + 2 𝑏𝑎 − 2𝑏𝑎 = 2 𝑏𝑎
2𝑎 𝑎

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𝐴 = 𝐴1 + 𝐴2 = 𝑏𝑎
6
𝑎 2𝑎
𝑎 2𝑏 2𝑎 𝑏 2𝑏𝑥 4 −𝑏𝑥 3 2𝑏𝑥 2
[ ] + [
∫0 2 𝑥 3 𝑑𝑥
𝑎
+ ∫𝑎 𝑥 (− 𝑎 𝑥 + 2𝑏) 𝑑𝑥 4𝑎2 0 3𝑎 + 2 ]𝑎
𝑥̅ = =
𝐴 7
6 𝑏𝑎
1 8 1
6 {2 𝑏𝑎2 − 3 𝑏𝑎2 + 4𝑏𝑎2 + 3 𝑏𝑎2 − 𝑏𝑎2 }
= =𝑎
7𝑏𝑎

(b) (10 points) By treating the body as a composite body, find the y location of the centroid
(assume constant density). Solutions by other means will not carry any points!

Solution:

3 ∙ 2𝑏 𝑎 ∙ 2𝑏 𝑏 𝑏𝑎 4𝑎𝑏 2 𝑎𝑏 2
∑𝑖 𝑦̅𝑖 𝐴𝑖 ∙ 3 +3∙ 2 + 6 6 ∙ 17𝑎𝑏 2 17
̅
𝑌= = 10 = 10 = = 𝑏
∑𝑖 𝐴𝑖 𝑎 ∙ 2𝑏 𝑏𝑎 7𝑎𝑏 7 ∙ 30𝑎𝑏 35
+
3 2 6

(c) (Bonus 5 points) If the density of the triangle is twice as much as the density of the
parabolic spandrel, find the distance between the centroid of the body and its center of
mass.

Solution: 𝜌𝑡𝑟𝑖 = 2𝜌𝑝𝑎𝑟 = 2𝜌

3 ∙ 2𝑏 𝑎 ∙ 2𝑏 𝑏 𝑏𝑎 2𝑎𝑏 2 𝑎𝑏 2
∑𝑖 𝑦̅𝑖 𝑚𝑖 ̅̅̅̅̅̅𝐴
𝑦𝑝𝑎𝑟 𝑝𝑎𝑟 𝜌𝑝𝑎𝑟 + ̅̅̅̅̅𝐴
𝑦𝑡𝑟𝑖 𝑡𝑟𝑖 𝜌𝑡𝑟𝑖 𝜌 ( 10 ∙ 3 + 2 ∙ 3 ∙ 2 ) + 3
𝑌̅𝑚 = = = = 5
∑𝑖 𝑚 𝑖 𝐴𝑝𝑎𝑟 𝜌𝑝𝑎𝑟 + 𝐴𝑡𝑟𝑖 𝜌𝑡𝑟𝑖 𝑎 ∙ 2𝑏 𝑏𝑎 5𝑎𝑏
𝜌( 3 +2∙ 2 ) 3
3 ∙ 11𝑎𝑏 2 11
= = 𝑏
15 ∙ 5𝑎𝑏 25
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3 ∙ 𝑎 𝑎 ∙ 2𝑏 𝑎 𝑏𝑎
𝑋̅𝑚 =
∑𝑖 𝑥̅𝑖 𝑚𝑖 ̅̅̅̅̅̅𝐴
=
𝑥𝑝𝑎𝑟 𝑝𝑎𝑟 𝜌𝑝𝑎𝑟 + ̅̅̅̅̅𝐴
𝑥𝑡𝑟𝑖 𝑡𝑟𝑖 𝜌𝑡𝑟𝑖
= 4 ∙ 3 + 2 ∙ (𝑎 + 3) ∙ 2
∑𝑖 𝑚 𝑖 𝐴𝑝𝑎𝑟 𝜌𝑝𝑎𝑟 + 𝐴𝑡𝑟𝑖 𝜌𝑡𝑟𝑖 5𝑎𝑏
3
𝑏𝑎2 4𝑏𝑎2
3 ∙ ( 2 + 3 ) 11𝑎
= =
5𝑎𝑏 10

2
11𝑎 11 17 2 𝑎2 64𝑏 2
√( ̅ ̅ ) 2 ̅
(𝑌 ̅ )
𝑑 = 𝑋𝑚 − 𝑋 + 𝑚 − 𝑌 = (2 √ − 𝑎) + ( 𝑏 − 𝑏) = √ +
10 25 35 100 175

Question 3 (30 points) A 120-lb cabinet is mounted on casters which

can be locked to prevent their rotation. The coefficient of static friction
between the floor and each caster is 0.30.

(a) (10 points) If h=32 in., and if all casters are locked, determine
the magnitude of the force P required to move the cabinet to the
right. Show that the cabinet slides right rather than tips.

Solution:
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(b) (10 points) If h is no longer 32 in., for the force you calculated in (a), find the maximum
h before the cabinet tips.
Solution:

(c) (5 points) If h=32 in., find the force P needed to slide the cabinet right if the casters at B
are locked and the casters at A are free to rotate.
Solution:

(d) (5 points) If h=32 in., find the force P needed to slide the cabinet right if the casters at A
are locked and the casters at B are free to rotate.

Solution:
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Question 4 (30 + 5 points) For the arched roof

truss:

(a) (15 points) Determine the forces in

members DE, EI, FI, and HI.

Solution:

(b) (15 points) If the external force at E is replaced with a 100 kN force, find the forces in
members DI, and DJ.

Solution:

From external analysis. Reactions at A and G are no longer equal because the loading is no
longer symmetric.

∑ 𝑀𝐴 = 0 = (−25 ∗ 4 − 75 ∗ 10 − 100 ∗ 20 − 100 ∗ 30 − 25 ∗ 36 + 𝐺 ∗ 40)𝑘𝑁 ∗ 𝑚

⇒ 𝐺 = 168.75 𝑘𝑁
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3 7
𝛼 = tan−1 10 = 16.699° ; 𝛽 = tan−1 4 = 60.255°

∑ 𝑀𝐷 = 0 = (−100 ∗ 10 − 25 ∗ 16 + 168.75 ∗ 20 − 𝐼𝐽 ∗ 7)𝑘𝑁 ∗ 𝑚

⇒ 𝐼𝐽 = 282.14 𝑘𝑁 𝑇

∑ 𝑀𝐸 = 0 = (−25 ∗ 6 + 168.75 ∗ 10 − 𝐼𝐽 ∗ 4 − 𝐼𝐷 ∗ (sin 𝛽 ∗ 6 + cos 𝛽

∗ 4))𝑘𝑁 ∗ 𝑚 ⇒ 𝐼𝐷 = 56.844 𝑘𝑁 𝑇

∑ 𝑀𝐶 = 0 = (−100 ∗ 10 − 100 ∗ 20 − 25 ∗ 26

+ 168.75 ∗ 30 − 𝐼𝐽 ∗ 4 − 𝐷𝐽 ∗ (sin 𝛽 ∗ 10
− cos 𝛽 ∗ 3))𝑘𝑁 ∗ 𝑚
⇒ 𝐷𝐽 = 46.718 𝑘𝑁 𝑇

𝐷𝐼 = 56.84 𝑘𝑁 𝑇 ; 𝐷𝐽 = 46.72 𝑘𝑁 𝑇

(c) (Bonus 5 points) What is the basic difference between a truss and a frame? Why can’t the
Method of Joints and Method of Sections be applied to frames?

Solution: Trusses are assumed to have only two force members, while frames have multi-force
members. MoJ and MoS can’t be applied to frames because the direction of the forces in the
multi-force members can no longer be assumed to be along the member.

Show your work!

Good Luck!
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Centroids of Common 2D Bodies