ENGINEERING MECHANICS

CHAPTER

TOPIC

INTRODUCTION AND REVIEW OF MATHEMATICS

FORCES AND RESULTANTS

MOMENTS AND COUPLES

EQUILIBRIUM

FRICTION

KINEMATICS OF LINEAR & ROTATIONAL MOTION

KINETICS OF LINEAR MOTION

KINETICS OF ROTATIONAL MOTION

Engineering Mechanics Chapter 1: Introduction & Review of Mathematics

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CHAPTER 1 :Introduction And Review of

Mathematics

1.1 Introduction

Basic mechanics involves the study of two principal areas

statics and dynamics.
S tatics & Dynamics .exe

Bridges .exe

Statics is the study of forces on objects or bodies which

are at rest or moving at a constant velocity, and the forces
are in balance, or in static equilibrium.
equilibrium.exe

A ball at rest may have several forces acting on it, such as

gravitational force (weight) and a force opposing that
gravity (reaction). The ball is at rest or static, has forces
in balance or EQUILIBRIUM
Dynamics is the study of forces on moving bodies, and the
forces are in dynamic equilibrium.
Engineering Mechanics Chapter 1: Introduction & Review of Mathematics

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The concept of applied mechanics is useful

when it comes to analyzing stress, designing
of machine structures and hydraulics, etc.
Beam under s tres s.exe

Hydranlics .exe

There are only seven basic units in the SI

system but only three are frequently used in
statics and dynamics:
Physical Quantity
Unit
1. Length meter
m
2. Mass
kilogram kg
3. Time
second s
Engineering Mechanics Chapter 1: Introduction & Review of Mathematics

Symbol

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For large or small figures, multiples or

submultiples are used. For example:
Multiples Submultiples
1 kilogram is 1 kg or 103 g.
1 millimeter is 1
mm or 10-3 m.
1 megagram is 1 Mg or 106 g.

1 micrometer is 1
m or 10-6m.

1 gigagram is 1 Gg or 109g.

1 nanometer is 1
nm or 10-9m.

Engineering Mechanics Chapter 1: Introduction & Review of Mathematics

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The following SI derived units are frequently

used in this course:
Force The unit of force is the newton (N) .
1 newton is the force applied to a 1 kg mass to give it an
acceleration of 1 m/s2 (i.e 1 N = 1 kg.m/s2).
Or : Force = mass x acceleration
= kg x m/s2 = kg m/s2
Hence a 1 kg mass has a force or weight due to gravity,
equal to
(1 kg x 9.81 m/s2) = 9.81 N,
where g = 9.81 m/s2 .
Moment It is the product of a force and its perpendicular
distance, and the unit is newton-meter or N-m.
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Forces .exe

1.2 Mathematics Required

The followings are the mathematics skills that are
important for this module :
Quadratic equations
Simultaneous equations
Trigonometry functions of a right-angle triangle
Sine and cosine rules

Engineering Mechanics Chapter 1: Introduction & Review of Mathematics

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1.2.1 Quadratic Equations

The equation has the standard form as follows
ax2 + bx + c = 0

(1.1)

The standard solution to this equation is

x = b ( b2 4ac)
2a

Engineering Mechanics Chapter 1: Introduction & Review of Mathematics

(1.2)

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Example 1
Solve for x in the equation 5x2 + 12x 2 = 0.
Comparing equation 1.1 above, and substitute
a=5, b=12 and c= 2 into equation 1.2, the
solution is :
X = 12 [(12)2 4(5)( 2)]
2(5)
= 12 13.56
10
= +0.156 or 2.56
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1.2.2 Simultaneous Equation

The equation has two unknowns x and y in the form of
ax + by + c = 0
(1.3)
px + qy + r = 0
(1.4)
Example 2
Find the values of x and y satisfying the given
equations:
4x + 3y + 10 = 0
(1)
20x + 30y + 5 = 0
(2)
There are 2 methods of solving these equations
Engineering Mechanics Chapter 1: Introduction & Review of Mathematics

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Method of Substitution
We can start by expressing x in terms of y, or y in terms of x.
Let us choose to express x in terms of y, thus from (1)
x = -3y -10
4
Substituting (3) into (2) , yielding

(3)

20( -3y -10) + 30y + 5 = 0

4
-15y -50 + 30y + 5 = 0
15y 45 = 0
y = 45 = 3
15
To find x, substitute the value of y into (3)
x = (-3 x 3 - 10) = -19
4
4
Engineering Mechanics Chapter 1: Introduction & Review of Mathematics

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Method of Elimination
This method looks for a way to eliminate one
of the unknowns.
This can be done by making the constant
factor of that unknown or variable the same in
both equations by multiplying or dividing one
equation by a selected constant:

Engineering Mechanics Chapter 1: Introduction & Review of Mathematics

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4x + 3y + 10 = 0
20x + 30y + 5 = 0

(1)
(2)

Divide (2) by 5
4x + 6y + 1 = 0
(3)
Subtract (3) by (1)
3y - 9 = 0
y=3
Substitute the value of y into (1) or (2)
4x + 3(3) + 10 = 0
4x = - 9 - 10
x = - 19
4
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1.2.3 Trigonometry Functions Of A Right-Angle Triangle

sine = opposite side = o = cosine
hypotenuse
h

(1.5)

cosine = adjacent side = a = sine

hypotenuse
h

(1.6)

tangent = opposite side = o

adjacent side
a

(1.7)

tangent

cos

Engineering Mechanics Chapter 1: Introduction & Review of Mathematics

sin

Right-Angle Triangle.exe

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1.2.4 Sine And Cosine Rules

For triangles that are not right-angle, the following two laws
are important in vector algebra introduced in chapter two
later:
Cosine Rule a2 = b2 + c2 2bc cos
b2 = a2 + c2 2ac cos
c2 = a2 + b2 2ab cos

Sine Rule

Engineering Mechanics Chapter 1: Introduction & Review of Mathematics

(1.8)

a = b = c
sin sin sin

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If the cosine rule is applied to a right-angle

triangle where = 90 0 , and
applying to equation (1.8),

i.e. a2 = b2 + c2 2bc cos 90 0

since cos 90 0 = 0
a 2 = b2 + c 2
(Pythagoras Theorem)

90 0
b
Engineering Mechanics Chapter 1: Introduction & Review of Mathematics

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Example 3
Find the length of the unknown side a and the angle .
Cosine rule : a2 = b2+c2-2bccos
i.e. a2 = 62+42-2x6x4cos200
200
6m

4m

= 36 +16-6x4xcos200
= 6.9
a = 2.63m

Sine rule : 2.63 =

6
sin 200
sin
sine = 6 x sin 200
2.63
= 51.30

Engineering Mechanics Chapter 1: Introduction & Review of Mathematics

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But we know this to be in the second quadrant,

Hence = 180 51.4 = 128.6 0
Check :
62 = 2.632 - 42 - 2x2.63x4 cos
cos = 2.632 + 42 62
2x2.63x4
= - 0.634
= 128.6 0

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1.2.5 Geometry
Some of the basic rules are shown below:
Sum of supplementary angles = 180 0
+ = 180 0

A straight line intersecting

two parallel lines

= , =
= , =

Engineering Mechanics Chapter 1: Introduction & Review of Mathematics

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Similar triangles ABC and ADE, by proportion

AB = BC = AC
AD
DE
AE
Hence if AB = 6, AD = 3 and BC = 4,
Then,

B
D

C
E

6 = 4
3
DE
DE = (3 x 4)
3
=2

End of Chapter 1
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