Scribd
Upload
22 views

Lesson 7

The document discusses moments of forces and couples. It defines a moment as the turning effect of a force about a specified axis, and defines a couple as two parallel forces of equal magnitude and opposite direction separated by a perpendicular distance. The document provides scalar and vector analyses for calculating moments of single forces and couples. It also describes determining resultant moments and replacing systems of forces and couples with equivalent single forces and couples.

Uploaded by

Angelica Rae Molina
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
22 views

Lesson 7

The document discusses moments of forces and couples. It defines a moment as the turning effect of a force about a specified axis, and defines a couple as two parallel forces of equal magnitude and opposite direction separated by a perpendicular distance. The document provides scalar and vector analyses for calculating moments of single forces and couples. It also describes determining resultant moments and replacing systems of forces and couples with equivalent single forces and couples.

Uploaded by

Angelica Rae Molina
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 29

MOMENT OF A FORCE

ABOUT A SPECIFIED
AXIS
Sometimes, the moment produced by a force about a specified axis must be
determined. To determine the turning effect, only the y component of the
moment is needed, and the total moment produced is not important. To
determine this component, we can use either a scalar or vector analysis.
Scalar Analysis
To use a scalar analysis in the case of the lug
nut, the moment arm, or perpendicular
distance from the axis to the line of action of
the force, is dy = d cos θ. Thus, the moment
of F about the y axis is My = F dy = F(d cos θ).
According to the right-hand rule, My is
directed along the positive y axis as shown in
the figure. In general, for any axis a, the
moment is
Vector Analysis
To find the moment of force F in about the y axis
using a vector analysis, we must first determine
the moment of the force about any point O on
the y axis by applying MO = r x F. The component
My along the y axis is the projection of MO onto
the y axis. It can be found using the dot product,
so that My = j · MO = j · (r x F), where j is the unit
vector for the y axis.
We can generalize this approach by
letting ua be the unit vector that
specifies the direction of the a axis
shown. Then the moment of F about a
point O on the axis is MO = r x F, and the
projection of this moment onto the a
axis is Ma = ua · (r x F). This combination
is referred to as the scalar triple
product. If the vectors are written in
Cartesian form, we have
This result can also be written in the form of a determinant, making it easier to
memorize.
Provided Ma is determined, we can then express Ma as a Cartesian vector,
namely
Important Points
• The moment of a force about a specified axis can be determined
provided the perpendicular distance da from the force line of
action to the axis can be determined. Ma = Fda.
• If vector analysis is used, Ma = ua · (r x F), where ua defines the
direction of the axis and r is extended from any point on the axis
to any point on the line of action of the force.
• If Ma is calculated as a negative scalar, then the sense of
direction of Ma is opposite to ua.
• The moment Ma expressed as a Cartesian vector is determined
from Ma = Maua.
EXAMPLE 1

Determine the resultant


moment of the three
forces about the x axis,
the y axis, and the z axis.
EXAMPLE 2
Determine the moment
MAB produced by the force
F, which tends to rotate the
rod about the AB axis.
EXAMPLE 3

Determine the magnitude


of the moment of force F
about segment OA of the
pipe assembly.
MOMENT OF A COUPLE

A couple is defined as two parallel forces that have the same magnitude, but
opposite directions, and are separated by a perpendicular distance d. Since the
resultant force is zero, the only effect of a couple is to produce an actual
rotation, or if no movement is possible, there is a tendency of rotation in a
specified direction.
The moment produced by a couple is
called a couple moment. We can
determine its value by finding the sum of
the moments of both couple forces about
any arbitrary point. For example, position
vectors rA and rB are directed from point O
to points A and B lying on the line of action
of -F and F. The couple moment
determined about O is therefore
This result indicates that a couple
moment is a free vector, i.e., it can act
at any point since M depends only
upon the position vector r directed
between the forces and not the
position vectors rA and rB, directed
from the arbitrary point O to the
forces. This concept is unlike the
moment of a force, which requires a
definite point (or axis) about which
moments are determined.
Scalar Formulation
The moment of a couple, is defined as having a magnitude of

M = Fd

where F is the magnitude of one of the forces and d is the


perpendicular distance or moment arm between the forces.
The direction and sense of the couple moment are
determined by the right-hand rule, where the thumb
indicates this direction when the fingers are curled with the
sense of rotation caused by the couple forces. In all cases, M
will act perpendicular to the plane containing these forces.
Vector Formulation
The moment of a couple can also be expressed by the vector cross product using
Equivalent Couples
If two couples produce a moment with the
same magnitude and direction, then these
two couples are equivalent. For example,
the two couples shown are equivalent
because each couple moment has a
magnitude of M = 30 N(0.4 m) = 40 N(0.3
m) = 12 N · m, and each is directed into
the plane of the page. Notice that larger
forces are required in the second case to
create the same turning effect because the
hands are placed closer together. Also, if
the wheel was connected to the shaft at a
point other than at its center, then the
wheel would still turn when each couple is
applied since the 12 N · m couple is a free
vector.
Resultant Couple Moment
Since couple moments are vectors, their
resultant can be determined by vector
addition. For example, consider the couple
moments M1 and M2 acting on the pipe.
Since each couple moment is a free vector,
we can join their tails at any arbitrary point
and find the resultant couple moment, MR
= M1 + M2 as shown. If more than two
couple moments act on the body, we may
generalize this concept and write the
vector resultant as
Important Points
• A couple moment is produced by two non-collinear forces that are equal in
magnitude but opposite in direction. Its effect is to produce pure rotation, or
tendency for rotation in a specified direction.
• A couple moment is a free vector, and as a result it causes the same rotational
effect on a body regardless of where the couple moment is applied to the
body.
• The moment of the two couple forces can be determined about any point. For
convenience, this point is often chosen on the line of action of one of the
forces in order to eliminate the moment of this force about the point.
• In three dimensions the couple moment is often determined using the vector
formulation, M = r x F, where r is directed from any point on the line of action
of one of the forces to any point on the line of action of the other force F.
• A resultant couple moment is simply the vector sum of all the couple
moments of the system.
EXAMPLE 4

Determine the resultant couple moment of the three couples acting on the
plate.
EXAMPLE 5

Determine the magnitude and direction of the couple moment acting on the
gear.
EXAMPLE 6

Determine the couple moment acting on the pipe shown. Segment AB is


directed 30° below the x–y plane
EXAMPLE 7
Replace the two couples acting on the pipe column by a resultant couple
moment.
SIMPLIFICATION OF A FORCE AND COUPLE
SYSTEM
SYSTEM OF FORCES AND COUPLE MOMENTS
Here the resultant force is determined from the vector sum of its two components (FR)x and (FR)y.
EXAMPLE 8
Replace the force and couple system shown by an equivalent resultant force and
couple moment acting at point O.
EXAMPLE 9
Replace the force and couple system acting on the member by an equivalent
resultant force and couple moment acting at point O.
EXAMPLE 10
The structural member is subjected to a couple moment M and forces F1 and F2
in. Replace this system by an equivalent resultant force and couple moment acting
at its base, point O.

You might also like