CHAPTER 3

RESULTANTS OF
COPLANAR FORCE
SYSTEMS
Fy
Fx
R
Fy
Fx
Fy
Fx
R
Finding a Resultant Force
Parallelogram law is carried out to find the resultant force




Resultant,
R = ( P1 + P2 )
VECTOR ADDITION OF NONORTHOGONAL FORCES
The screw eye is subjected to two forces, F
1
and
F
2
. Determine the magnitude and direction of the
resultant force.

By Parallelogram Law
select 1 force triangle
to analyze
SOLUTION
Step 1 - Law of Cosines to find F
R
( ) ( ) ( )( )
( ) N N
N N N N F
R
213 6 . 212 4226 . 0 30000 22500 10000
115 cos 150 100 2 150 100
2 2
= = + =
+ =

Step 2 - Law of Sines to find angle
( )

8 . 39
9063 . 0
6 . 212
150
sin
115 sin
6 . 212
sin
150
=
=
=
u
u
u
N
N
N N
|
|
Z =
+ =

8 . 54
15 8 . 39
Angle of relative to X-axis
Scalar Notation
x and y axes are designated positive and
negative
Components of forces expressed as
algebraic scalars
u u sin and cos F F F F
F F F
y x
y x
= =
+ =
RESULTANT BY
COMPONENTS
F
2
= F
2x
+ F
2y

F
1
= F
1x
+ F
1y

F
Rx
= F
1x
+ F
2x

F
Ry
= F
1y
+ F
2y

F
Rx
= F
x
F
Ry
= F
y
Magnitude of F
R
can be found by Pythagorean Theorem
Rx
Ry
Ry Rx R
F
F
F F F
1 - 2 2
tan and = + = u
Determine x and y components of F1 and F2 acting on the boom.
| = = =
= = =
N N N F
N N N F
y
x
173 173 30 cos 200
100 100 30 sin 200
1
1

By similar triangles we have

N 100
13
5
260
N 240
13
12
260
2
2
=
|
.
|

\
|
=
=
|
.
|

\
|
=
y
x
F
F
+ = =
=
N N F
N F
y
x
100 100
240
2
2
|
.
|

\
|
=

12
5
tan
1
u
F
RX
= Fx = - 100N + 240N = 140 N
F
RY
= Fy = 173N -100N = 73 N
( ) N F
R
158 73 140
2 2
= + =
0 1
5 . 27
140
73
tan =
|
.
|

\
|
=

u
140 N
73 N
F
R
The link is subjected to two forces F1 and F2.
Determine the magnitude and orientation
of the resultant force.
( ) ( )
N
N N F
R
629
8 . 582 8 . 236
2 2
=
+ =
RESULTANT FORCE

9 . 67
8 . 236
8 . 582
tan
1
=
|
.
|

\
|
=

N
N
u ORIGINAL FORCE SYSTEM
RESULTANT OF THREE OR MORE CONCURRENT FORCES
F1
X
F
F
1
4
5
=
F1x
F1y
F1
N
N F
F
X
680
5
4 850
4
5
1
=

= =
Y
F
F

=
1
3
5
N
F
F
Y
510 3 3
5
1
= =

=
OR
0 1
13 . 53
3
4
tan = =

o
=90-=36.87
0
F
1x
=850Cos 36.87 = 680N
F
1y
=850Sin 36.87 = 510N
F2
F2y
F2x
30
F2x= -625sin30 = -312.5N
625N
F2y= -625cos30 = -541N
750
45
F3
F3x
F3y
F3x=-750cos45 = -530N
F3y=750sin45= 530N
F
RX
= F1x + F2x +F3x
= 680N 312.5N -530N
= -162.5N

F
RY
= F1y + F2y +F3y
= -510N - 541N + 530N
= -521N
2 2
) 521 ( ) 5 . 162 ( + =
R
F
= 546N
F
R
=
0 1
67 . 72
5 . 162
521
tan =

TRANSLATION VS ROTATION
TRANSLATION
ROTATION
ROTATING TRANSLATION
M = F x d
Characteristics of Moments
F
Fp
Fa
If these wheel nuts must be tightened to 85Nm, what is
the force F?
Angle = 35 degrees, d = 420mm.

From M = F * d, then F = M / d

Perpendicular distance = d * cos (35)

F = 85 / (0.42 * cos(35))
= 247.06 N
Example - Moment
A 100-lb vertical force is applied to the end
of a lever which is attached to a shaft at 0.
Determine (a) the moment of 100-lb force
about 0.(b) the magnitude of the horizontal
force applied at A which will create the
same moment about 0.(c ) the smallest
force applied at A which will create same
moment (d) how far from the shaft a 240 lb
vertical force must act to create the same
moment about 0. (e) whether any one of the
forces obtain in parts (a), (b), (c ) and (d) is
equivalent to the original force.
Example - Moment
(a) The perpendicular distance from ) to
the line of action of 100-lb force is

( )
( )( )
0
24 in. cos 60 12 in.
M 100 lb 12 in. 1200 lb-in
d
Fd
= =
= = =
The magnitude of the moment about 0
The force rotates the lever in clockwise
about 0 and M
0
is perpendicular to the
plane.
Example - Moment
(b) Horizontal force

( )
0
0
24 in. sin 60 20.8 in.
M
M
1200 lb-in
57.7 lb
20.8 in.
d
Fd F
d
F
= =
= =
= =
Since the moment about 0 is 1200 lb-in
the resulting F
Example - Moment
(c) Smallest Force, since M=Fd, the
smallest value of F occurs when d is
a maximum. It will be perpendicular
to 0A

0
0
24 in.
M
M
1200 lb-in
50 lb
24 in.
d
Fd F
d
F
=
= =
= =
Example - Moment
(d) A 240-lb vertical force In this case
the force is given determine the
distance

0
0
M
M
1200 lb-in
5.0 in.
240 lb
0B cos 60 5.0 in. 0B 10.0 in.
Fd d
F
d
= =
= =
= =
Example - Moment
(e) None of the force in parts b, c, and d
is equivalent of original 100-lb
force. Although they have the same
moment about 0, they have different
x and y components .

Example
A vertical force P of
magnitude 60 lb is applied
to the crank at A. Knowing
that u = 75
o
, determine the
moment P alone each of the
coordinate axes.
60 lb
d
d = 8 cos 15 =7.727
8
T = 60lb x 7.727 in = 463.6 in-lb
Fp =60Sin75 = 57.96 lb
Fa = 60cos75 = 15.53 lb
T
x =
57.96 lb x 8 in = 463.6 in-lb

T2 = 15.53 lb x 5 in = 77.65 ft-lb
60 lb
F
p
F
a
75
The mechanism shown is used to raise a crate of supplies from a ship's hold. The crate
has total mass 56.0 . A rope is wrapped around a wooden cylinder that turns on a metal
axle. The cylinder has radius 0.310 . The crate is suspended from the free end of the
rope. One end of the axle pivots on frictionless bearings; a crank handle is attached to the
other end. When the crank is turned, the end of the handle rotates about the axle in a
vertical circle of radius 0.120 , the cylinder turns, and the crate is raised.
What magnitude of the force applied tangentially to the rotating crank is required to
raise the crate with an acceleration of 0.750 ? (You can ignore the mass of the rope
as well as the moments of inertia of the axle and the crank.)
Varigons Theorem
As with the summation of force combining to get
resultant force

Similar resultant comes from the addition of
moments
1 2 n
R F F F = + + +
0 R 1 1 2 2 n n
M R d F d F d F d = = + + +
Moment of F1
Line of action of F1 passes through Point O.
No moment is generated
Moment of F2 75 lbs
Moment of F3 60 lbs
Sum of All Moments about O
RESULTANTS OF PARALLEL FORCES
FOR MAGNITUDE
FOR LOCATION
100 lb
2
200 lb
7
A B
F
R
= -100lb + -200lb = -300lb
x
F
R
M
A
= -100lb x 2ft + -200lb x 7 ft
= -200 lb-ft - 1400 lb-ft
= -1600 lb-ft

M
R
=M
A
AND

M
R
= F
R
x X

M
A
-300lb x (X) = -1600 lb-ft
X = -1600/-300 = 5.3 ft
Fy = Resultant = -800lb + 600lb 1200lb -400lb = -1800lb
Sum M
A
= 1800lb( x) = -600lb(3ft) + 1200lb(5ft) + 400lb(9ft)
= -1800lb-ft + 6000lb-ft + 3600lb-ft
M
A
= 7800lb-ft

x = 7800lb-ft / 1800lb = 4.33ft
DISTRIBUTED LOADS
UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED
LINE LOADS
Brimham Rocks, North Yorkshire England
NONUNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED LINE LOADS
b
centroid is two thirds away from
the vertex and 1/3 away from the right angle.
(third from the right)
magnitude of distributed load comes from
area of triangle = b x h
Location of Concentrated load will be 1/3
the base length away from right angle
Value of Resultant force from
F
=1/3(4.5m= 1.5 m
Sum the moments about A
Solve for xbar
TRAPEZOID
Magnitude of Resultants
Lines of Action
Resultant of Dist. Loads
Resultant Point
HYDROSTATIC FORCES
calculate pressure at depth
By Pascals Law
P = F/A or F = PA
The distributed load looks like this
Calculated Load Intensity
Resultant
Location of Resultant
FORCE COUPLES
T=F X 2d
d
d
F
F
M
R
Since the 2 forces form a couple
Magnitude is the same at any point in plane
About O
About C
About B
or, I could just find the
resultant of the 2 couples
Compute X resultant
Compute Y resultant
Sketch components and resultant
Compute resultant
Compute Angle