Engineering Mechanics I: Statics (MEng 2201)

Chapter 2: Force Systems

Force Systems – 3D (Lecture 4)

• Force Systems (3D)

– Rectangular Components
– Moment, Couple and Force-Couple Systems
– Resultants

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 Force Systems – 3D (Lecture 4)
• The force F acting at point O (see figure below) has the
rectangular components Fx, Fy, Fz, where:

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 3D Force Systems
• The unit vectors i, j, and k are in the x-, y-, and z-
directions, respectively.
• Using the direction cosines of F, cos θx, cos θy, & cos θz,
where cos2θx + cos2θy + cos2θz = 1, we may write the
force as:
F = F(cos θx i + cos θy j + cos θz k) = FnF
• Hence, the scalar components of the unit vector nF are
the direction cosines of the line of action of F.
• In most cases, the direction of a force is described:
– (a) by two points on the line of action of the force or
– (b) by two angles which orient the line of action.
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 3D Force Systems
(a) Specification by two points on the line of action of the force
• If the coordinates of points A and B of the Fig. below are known,
the force F may be written as:

• Thus the x, y, and z scalar components of F are the scalar

coefficients of the unit vectors i, j, and k, respectively.

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 3D Force Systems
(b) Specification by two angles which orient the line of action
of the force.
• Consider the geometry of the figure below. We assume that the
angles θ and ϕ are known. First resolve F into horizontal and
vertical components, Fxy = F cos ϕ, Fz = F sin ϕ.
• Resolve the horizontal component Fxy into x- and y-components.
Fx = Fxy cos θ = F cos ϕ cos θ, Fy = Fxy sin θ = F cos ϕ sin θ

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– The quantities Fx, Fy, and Fz are the desired scalar components of F.
 Dot Product
• The dot product of two vectors P and Q, see Fig. (a), is
defined as the product of their magnitudes times the
cosine of the angle α between them. It is written as:

• The dot product of the two vectors is a scalar quantity.

• We can express the scalar component Fx = F cos θx of
the force F, where Fx = F . i where i is the unit vector in
the x-direction.

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 Dot Product
• If n is a unit vector in a specified direction, the projection of
F in the n-direction, Fig. (b), has the magnitude Fn = F . n.
• If we want to express the projection in the n-direction as a
vector quantity, then we multiply its scalar component,
expressed by:
F . n, by the unit vector n to give Fn = (F . n)n .
i . i = j . j = k . k =1 , i . j = j . i = i . k = k . i = j . k = k . j = 0
• From F . n = (F) (n) cos θ = Fcos θ, the angle b/n F and n is:

• In general, the angle between any two vectors P and Q is:

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 Example 10: 3D Force Systems
• A force F with a magnitude of 100 N is applied at the origin O of
the axes x-y-z as shown. The line of action of F passes through a
point A. Determine,
(a) the x, y, and z scalar components of F,
(b) the projection Fxy of F on the x-y plane, and
(c) the projection FOB of F along the line OB.

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 Example 10: Solution
Part (a): Write force vector F
• Thus, Fx = 42.4 N
Fy = 56.6 N
Fz = 70.7 N
Part (b): The cosine of the angle θxy b/n F and the x-y plane is:
• & Fxy = F cos θxy = 100(0.707) = 70.7 N

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 Example 10: Solution
• Part (c): The unit vector nOB along OB is

• The scalar projection of F on OB is

• If we wish to express this

projection as a vector, we write,

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 Moments in 3D
• The moment of a force F about an axis passing through O is:

• The correct direction and sense of the moment are established by

the right-hand rule.
• Thus, with r and F treated as free vectors emanating from O, see
Fig below, the thumb points in the direction of MO if the fingers
of the right hand curl in the direction of rotation from r to F
through the angle α.
• The vector MO is normal to the plane and is directed along the
axis through O.

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 Evaluating the Cross Product
• The cross-product expression for MO may be written in the
determinant form:
• Expansion of the determinant gives,

Moment About an Arbitrary Axis

• The expression for the moment
M of F about any axis through
O, is shown in the Fig. below.
• If n is a unit vector in the λ-direction,
then we can use the dot-product
expression for the component of a vector
to obtain MO.n, the component of MO in the direction of λ.
• This scalar is the magnitude of the moment Mλ of F about λ. 12
 Evaluating the Cross Product
• To obtain the vector expression for the moment Mλ of F about λ,
multiply the magnitude by the directional unit vector n to obtain

where r x F replaces MO.

• The expression (r x F . n) is known as a triple scalar product and
it may be represented by the determinant:

where α, β, and γ are the direction cosines of the unit vector n.

Varignon’s Theorem in Three Dimensions
• The sum of the moments of the three forces
about O, MO is:

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 Moment of Couples in 3D
• The Fig. below shows two equal and opposite forces F and – F
acting on a body.
• The vector r runs from any point B on the line of action of – F to
any point A on the line of action of F.
• Points A and B are located by position vectors rA and rB from
any point O.
• The combined moment of the two forces about O is

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 Example 11: Moment in 3D
• The turnbuckle is tightened until the tension in cable AB is 2.4 kN.
Determine magnitude of the moment about point O of the cable
force acting at point A.

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 Example 11: Solution
• Write the tension as a vector:

• The moment of this force about point O is:

• This vector has a magnitude

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 Example 12: Moment of Couples in 3D
• Determine the magnitude and direction of the moment M which
will replace the moments of the two given couples and still
produce the same external effect on the block. Specify the two
forces F and – F, applied in the two opposite faces of the block
parallel to the y-z plane, which may replace the four given forces.
The 30-N forces act parallel to the y-z plane.

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 Example 12: Solution
• The couple due to the 30-N forces has the magnitude
M1 = 30(0.06) = 1.80 N.m.
• The direction of M1 is normal to the plane defined by the two
forces, and the sense is established by the right-hand convention.
• The couple due to the 25-N forces has the magnitude
M2= 25(0.10) = 2.50 N.m with the direction and sense shown.
• The two couple vectors combine to give the components:

• The forces F and – F lie in a plane

normal to the couple M, and their
moment arm is 100 mm. Thus, each
force has the magnitude with direction θ = 44.30. 18
 Example 13: Moment of Couples
• A force of 40 lb is applied at A to the handle of the control lever
which is attached to the fixed shaft OB. In determining the effect
of the force on the shaft at a cross section such as that at O, we
may replace the force by an equivalent force at O and a couple.
Describe this couple as a vector M.

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 Example 13: Solution
• The couple may be expressed in vector notation as M = r x F,
where r = rOA = 8j + 5k and F = – 40i lb. Thus,
M = (8j + 5k) x (– 40i) = – 200j + 320k lb-in.

• Alternatively we see that moving the 40-lb force through a

distance d = √52 + 82 = 9.43 in. to a parallel position through O
requires the addition of a couple M whose magnitude is:
M = Fd = 40(9.43) = 377 lb-in.
• The direction of M in the y-z plane is given by
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 Resultants
• The general force system shown in the figure is given by

• The magnitudes of the resultants and their components are

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 Resultants
• The point O selected as the point of concurrency for the forces is
arbitrary, and the magnitude and direction of M depend on the
particular point O selected.
• The magnitude and direction of R, however, are the same no
matter which point is selected.
• In general, any system of forces may be replaced by its resultant
force R and the resultant couple M.
• Wrench Resultant: When the resultant couple vector M is
parallel to the resultant force R, as shown in the Fig. below, the
resultant is called a wrench.
• By definition a wrench is positive if the couple and force vectors
point in the same direction and negative if they point in opposite
directions.

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 Example 14: Resultants
• Determine the resultant of the force and couple system which
acts on the rectangular solid.

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 Example 14: Solution
• We choose point O as a convenient reference point for
the initial step of reducing the given forces to a force–
couple system.
• The resultant force is

• The sum of the moments about O is

• Hence, the resultant consists of a couple, which may be

applied at any point on the body or the body extended.
• Since the force summation is zero, we conclude that the
resultant, if it exists, must be a couple.
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 Example 15: Resultants
• Determine the resultant of the system of parallel forces which act
on the plate. Solve with a vector approach.

Solution
• Transfer of all forces to point O results in the force–couple system

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 Example 15: Resultants
• The placement of R so that it alone represents the force–couple
system is determined by the principle of moments in vector form:

• From the one vector equation we may obtain the two scalar eqns.:
350x = – 125 and – 350z = – 87.5
• Hence, x = – 0.357 m and z = 0.250 m are the coordinates through
which the line of action of R must pass.
• The value of y may be any value, as permitted by the principle of
transmissibility.
• Thus, the variable y drops out of the above vector analysis. 26
 Example 16: Resultants
• Replace the two forces and the negative wrench by a single force
R applied at A and the corresponding couple M.

Solution
• The resultant force has the components

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 Example 16: Solution
• Thus,

• The couple to be added as a result of moving the 500-N force is

• where r is the vector from A to B.

• The term-by-term, or determinant, expansion gives

• The moment of the 600-N force about A is written by

inspection of its x- and z components, which gives

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 Example 16: Solution
• The moment of the 700-N force about A is obtained from the
moments of the x- and z-components of the force.
• The result becomes

• Also, the couple of the given wrench may be written

• Therefore, the resultant couple on adding together the i-, j-, and k-
terms of the four M’s is

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 Example 17: Resultants
• Determine the wrench resultant of the three forces acting on the
bracket.
• Calculate the coordinates of the point P in the x-y plane through
which the resultant force of the wrench acts.
• Also find the magnitude of the couple M of the wrench.

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 Example 17: Solution
• The direction cosines of the couple M of the wrench must be the
same as those of the resultant force R, assuming that the wrench is
positive.
• The resultant force is

• and its direction cosines are

• The moment of the wrench couple must equal the sum of the
moments of the given forces about point P through which R
passes.
• The moments about P of the three forces are

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 Example 17: Solution
• The total moments is

• The direction cosines of M are

• where M is the magnitude of M.

• Equating the direction cosines
• of R and M gives
• Solution of the three equations gives,
M = – 120 lb-in.; x = 3 in.; y = 2 in.
• M is negative, which means that the couple vector is pointing in
the direction opposite to R, which makes the wrench negative.
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