background image

Lecture 4 
Resultant 

The properties of force, moment, and couple were developed in the previous four lecture. Now we 

are ready to describe the resultant action of a group or system of forces. Most problems in mechanics deal 

with a system of forces, and it is usually necessary to reduced the system to its simplest form  to describe 

its action. The .resultant of a system of forces is the simplest force combination which can replace the 

original forces without altering the external effect on the rigid body to which the forces are applied.  

Equilibrium of a body is the condition in which the resultant of all forces acting on the body is zero. This 

condition is studied in statics. When the resultant of all forces on a body is not zero, the acceleration of 

the body is obtained by equating the force resultant to the product of the mass and acceleration of the 

body. This condition is studied in dynamics. Thus, the determination of resultants is basic to both statics 

and dynamics  

 The most common type of force system occurs when the forces all act in a single plane, say, the 

x-y plane, as illustrated by the system of three forces F1, F2, and F3 in Fig. 1. We obtain the magnitude 

and direction of the resultant force R by forming the force polygon shown in part b of the figure, where 

the forces are added head to-tail in any sequence. Thus, for any system of coplanar forces we may write 

 
 
 
 
 

Graphically, the correct line of action of R may be obtained bv preserving the correct lines of action of 

the forces and adding them by the parallelogram law. We see this in part a of the figure for the case of 

three forces where the sum R1 of F2 and F3 is added to F1 to obtain R. The principle of transmissibility 

has been used in this process. 

 

Figure 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Algebraic. Method 

We can use algebra to obtain the resultant force and its line of action  

1. Choose a convenient reference point and move all forces to that point. This process is depicted for a 

three-force system in Figs.2a and b, where M1, M2, and M3 are the couples resulting from the transfer of 

forces F1, F2, and F3 from their respective original lines of action to lines of action through point O. 

 

26


background image

2. Add all forces at O to form the resultant force R, and add all couples to form the resultant couple Mo. 

We now have the single force-couple system, as shown in  Fig. 2c. 

3. In Fig. 2d, find the line of action of R by requiring R to have a moment of Mo about point O. Note that 

the force systems of Figs.2a and  ,2d. are equivalent, and that Σ(Fd) in Fig. 2a is equal to Rd in Fig. 2d  

 

Figure 2

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

principle of Moments 

This process is summarized in equation form by 

 

 

……….2 

 
 
 
 
 
The first  two of Eqs.2 reduce a given system of forces to a force- couple system at an arbitrarily chosen 

but convenient point O. The last equation specifies the distance d from point O to the line of action of R, 

and states that the moment of the resultant force about any point O equals the sum of the moments of the 

original forces of the system about the same point. This extends Varignon's theorem to the case of 

nonconcurrent force system; we call this extension the principle of moments . for a concurrent system of 

forces where the lines of action of all forces pass through a common point O, the moment sum ΣMo about 

that point is zero. Thus, the line of action of the resultant R = ΣF, determined by the first of Eqs. 2, passes 

though point O. For a parallel force system, select a coordinate axis in the direction of the forces. If the 

resultant  force R for a given force system is zero, the resultant of the system need not be zero because the 

 

27


background image

resultant may be a couple. The three forces in Fig. 3, for instance, have a zero resultant force but have a 

resultant clockwise couple M=F3d 

 

 

Figure 3

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Examples 

Example1 

Determine the resultant of the four  forces and one couple which act on the 

plate shown.  

 

Solution 

Point 0 is selected as a convenient reference point for the force-couple 

system that is to represent the given system  

 

 
The force-couple system consisting of R and Mo is shown in Fig.a 

 

We now determine the final line of action of R such that R alone 

represents the original system 

 
 
Hence, the resultant R may be applied at point on the line which makes a 

63.2˚ angle with the x-axis and is tangent at point A to a circle of 1.6m 

radius with center 0, as shown in part b of the figure. We apply the equation 

 

28


background image

Rd=Mo in an absolute-value sense (ignoring any sign of Mo) and let the physics of the situation, as 

depicted in Fig.a, dictate the final placement of R. had Mo been counterclockwise, the correct line of 

action of R would have been the tangent at point B. 

 

The resultant R may also be located by determining its intercept distance b to point C on the x-

axis, Fig.c. with R

x

 and R

y

 acting through point C, only R

y

 exerts a moment about 0 so that  

 

 

 
 
 
Alternatively, the y-intercept could have been obtained by noting that the moment about 0 would be due 
to R

x

 only. 

 

Example 2 

An exhaust system for pickup truck is shown in the Figure. The weights W

h

, W

m, and 

W

t

 of the headpipe, 

muffler, and tajlpipe are 10, 100. and 50 N, respectively, and act at the indicated points. If the exhaust 

pipe hanger at point A is  adjusted so that its tension F

A

 is 50 N, determine the  required forces in the 

hangers at points B, C, and D so that the force couple system at point O is zero. Why is a zero force 

couple system at O desirable? 

  

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Solution 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

29


background image

Example 3 
 

The flanged steel cantilever beam with riveted bracket is subjected to the couple and two forces shown, 

and their effect on the design of the attachment at A must be determined. Replace the two forces and 

couple by an equivalent couple M and resultant force R at A  

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Solution  
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

  

 
 
 
 

The force –couple system is  

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

30


background image

Problems 

 

 

 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 

 

31


background image

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

32


background image

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

33




رفعت المحاضرة من قبل: ضرغام العزاوي
المشاهدات: لقد قام 8 أعضاء و 132 زائراً بقراءة هذه المحاضرة








تسجيل دخول

أو
عبر الحساب الاعتيادي
الرجاء كتابة البريد الالكتروني بشكل صحيح
الرجاء كتابة كلمة المرور
لست عضواً في موقع محاضراتي؟
اضغط هنا للتسجيل