Chapter5 Equilibrium of a Rigid Body

Xiaoyan Yang
Email: yangxiaoyan@[Link]

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Chapter objectives
 To develop the equations of equilibrium for a rigid body.
 To introduce the concept of the free-body diagram for a rigid body.
 To show how to solve rigid-body equilibrium problems using the
equations of equilibrium.

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Condition for Rigid body equilibrium
The body is subjected to an external force and couple moment system.
The internal forces caused by interactions between particles within the
body are not needed because these forces occur in equal but opposite
collinear pairs and hence will cancel out, a consequence of Newton’s
third law.

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Condition for Rigid body equilibrium
The force and couple moment system acting on a
body can be reduced to an equivalent resultant force
and resultant couple moment at any arbitrary point
O on or off the body. If this resultant force and
couple moment are both equal to zero, then the body
is said to be in equilibrium. Mathematically, the
equilibrium of a body is expressed as
FR=∑F=0
(MR)O= ∑MO=0
The first of these equations states that the sum of
the forces acting on the body is equal to zero. The
second equation states that the sum of the moments
of all the forces in the system about point O, added
to all the couple moments, is equal to zero.
The above two equations are not only necessary
for equilibrium, they are also sufficient.
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 Considering summing moments about point A in
Fig. c, it requires:
෍ 𝐌𝐴 = 𝐫 × 𝐅𝑅 + 𝐌𝑅 𝑂 =0

since r≠0, therefore

FR=0 (MR)O =0
When applying the equations of equilibrium, we
will assume that the body remain rigid. In reality, all
bodies deform when subjected to loads. Most
engineering materials such as steel and concrete are
very rigid and so their deformation is usually very
small.
Therefore, when applying the equations of
equilibrium, we can generally assume that the body
will remain rigid and not deform under the applied
load without introducing any significant error. This
way the direction of the applied forces and their
moment arms with respect to a fixed reference remain
the same both before and after the body is loaded.
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Free-Body Diagrams
The free-body diagram is a sketch of the outlined shape of the body,
which represents it as being isolated or “free” from its surroundings, i.e.,
a “free body”.
On this sketch it is necessary to show all the forces and couple
moments that the surroundings exert on the body so that these effects can
be accounted for when the equations of equilibrium are applied.
Support Reactions-various types of reactions that occur at supports
and points of contact between bodies subjected to coplanar force
systems.
 A support prevents the translation of a body in a given direction by
exerting a force on the body in the opposite direction.
 A support prevents the rotation of a body in a given direction by
exerting a couple moment on the body in the opposite direction.
1) Roller or cylinder: this support only prevents
the beam from translating in the vertical
beam direction, the roller will only exert a force on
the beam in the vertical direction.
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Free-Body Diagrams
2) The beam can be supported in a more
restrictive manner by using a pin. The pin
passes through a hole in the beam and two
leaves which are fixed to the ground. Here the
pin can prevent translation of the beam in any
direction φ, and so the pin exert Fx and Fy on
the beam. (Fx and Fy are the two rectangular
components of F)
3) A fixed support is the most restrictive to
support the beam. This support will prevent
both translation and rotation of the beam. To do
this a force and couple moment must be
developed on the beam at its point of
connection.
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Actual supports

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Internal forces:
The engine shown in Figure(a) has a free-body-diagram shown in
Figure(b). The internal forces between all its connected parts, such as the
screws and bolts, will cancel out because they form equal and opposite
collinear pairs. Only the external forces T1 and T2, exerted by the chains
and the engine weight W, are shown on the free-body diagram.

Weight and the center of gravity: When a body is within a gravitational

field, then each of its particles has a specified weight. The location of the
point of application of the weight is the center of gravity.

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Idealized models:
An engineer must consider a corresponding analytical or idealized
model that gives results that approximate as closely as possible the actual
situation. To do so, care choices have to be made so that selection of the
type of supports, the material behavior, and the object’s dimensions can
be justified.
As shown in Figure 5-5(a), the steel beam is to
be used to support the three roof joists of a
building. For a force analysis, it is reasonable to
assume the material (steel) is rigid since only
very small deflections will occur when the beam
is loaded. A bolted connection at A will allow
for any slight rotation that occurs here when the
load is applied, and so a pin can be considered
for this support. At B a roller can be considered
since this support offers no resistance to
horizontal movement. The weight of the beam is
generally neglected as it is small. 12
To conduct a free-body diagram for a rigid body or any group of bodies
considered as a single system, the following steps should be performed:
 Draw outlined shape
Imagine the body to be isolated or cut “free” from its constraints and
connections and draw(sketch) its outlined shape. Be sure to remove all
the supports from the body.
 Show all forces and couple moments
Identify all the known and unknown external forces and couple
moments that act on the body. Those generally encountered are due to: (1)
applied loadings; (2) reactions occurring at the supports or at points of
contact with other bodies; (3) the weight of the body.
 Identify each loading and give dimensions
The forces and couple moments that are known should be labeled
with proper magnitudes and directions. Letters are used to represent the
magnitudes and direction angles of forces and couple moments that are
unknown. Establish an x, y coordinate system so that these unknowns can
be identified. Finally, indicate the dimensions of the body necessary for
calculating the moments of forces.
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E.g. 5.1

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E.g. 5.3

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Equations of Equilibrium
∑F=0 and ∑MO=0 are both necessary and
sufficient for the equilibrium of a rigid body.
When the body is subjected to a system of forces,
which all lie in the x-y plane, then the forces can
be resolved into their x and y components/
consequently, the conditions for equilibrium in two
dimensions are:
F x 0  Fy  0  MO  0
Here ∑Fx and ∑Fy represent, respectively, the
algebraic sums of the x and y components of all the
forces acting on the body, and ∑MO represents the
algebraic sum of the couple moments and moments
of all the force components about the z axis, which
is perpendicular to the x-y plane and passes through
the arbitrary point O.
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Procedure for analysis
Coplanar force equilibrium problems for a rigid body can be solved
using the following procedure.
(1) Free-body diagram
 Establish the x, y coordinate axes in any suitable orientation.
 Remove all supports and draw an outlined shape of the body.
 Show all the forces and couple moments acting on the body.
 Label all the loadings and specify their directions relative to the x or y
axis. The sense of a force or couple moment having an unknown
magnitude but known line of action can be assumed.
 Indicate the dimensions of the body necessary for computing the
moments of forces.
(2) Equations of equilibrium
 Apply the moment equation of equilibrium, ∑MO=0, about a point(O)
that lies at the intersection of the lines of action of two unknown
forces. In this way, the moments of these unknowns are zero about O,
and a direct solution for the third unknown can be determined.
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Procedure for analysis
 When applying the force equilibrium equations, ∑Fx =0 and ∑Fy =0,
orient the x and y axes along lines that will provide the simplest
resolution of the forces into their x and y components.
 If the solution of the equilibrium equations yields a negative scalar
for a force or couple moment magnitude, this indicates that the
sense is opposite to that which was assumed on the free-body
diagram.

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E.g. 5.6

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E.g. 5.7

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E.g. 5.8

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E.g. 5.10

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e.g. 5.12

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Two- and Three-Force Members

The solutions to some equilibrium problems can be simplified by recognizing members that are
subjected to only two or three forces.

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Two- and Three-Force Members
 Two-force members
A two-force member has forces applied at only two points on the member.
An example of a two-force member is shown in the following figure. To satisfy
force equilibrium, FA and FB must be equal in magnitude, FA=FB=F, but
opposite in direction (∑F=0). Furthermore, moment equilibrium requires that
FA and FB share the same line of action, which can only happen if they are
directed along the line joining points A and B (∑MA=0 and ∑MB=0).
For any two-force member to be in equilibrium, the two forces acting on the
member must have the same magnitude, act in opposite directions, and have the
same line of action, directed along the line joining the two points where these
forces act.

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Two- and Three-Force Members
 Three-force members
If a member is subjected to only three forces, it is called a three-force
member. Moment equilibrium can be satisfied only if the three forces
form a concurrent or parallel force system.
To illustrate, consider the member subjected to the three forces F1, F2,
and F3, shown in the following figure. If the lines of action of F1 and F2
intersect at point O, then the line of action of F3 must also pass through
point O so that the forces satisfy ∑MO=0.
As a special case, if the three forces are all parallel, the location of
the point of interaction, O, will approach infinity.

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E.g. 5.13

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Homework-April 15th

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Homework-April 19th

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Equilibrium in three dimensions
5.5 Free-body diagrams
The first step in solving three-dimensional equilibrium problems, as
in the case of two dimensions, is to draw a free-body diagram.
Support reactions. The reactive forces and couple moments acting at
various types of supports and connections, when the members are viewed
in three dimensions, are listed in the following Table. It is important to
recognize the symbols used to represent each of these supports and to
understand clearly how the forces and couple moments are developed. As
is in the two-dimensional case:
 A force is developed by a support that restricts the translation of its
attached member,
 A couple moment is developed when rotation of the attached member
is prevented.

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In item (4), the ball-and-socket joint prevents any translation of the connecting
member; therefore, a force must act on the member at the point of connection. This
force has three components having unknow magnitudes, Fx, Fy, Fz. Since the connecting
member is allowed to rotate freely about any axis, no couple moment is resisted by a
ball-and-socket joint.

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 The single bearing supports in items (5) and (7), the single pin (8), and the single
hinge (9) are shown to resist both force and couple-moment components. If, however,
these supports are used in conjunction with other bearings, pins, or hinges to hold a
rigid body in equilibrium and the supports are properly aligned when connected to the
body, then the force reactions at these supports alone are adequate for supporting the
body. In other words, the couple moments become redundant and are not shown on the
free-body diagram.
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Equilibrium in three dimensions
Free-body diagrams.
(1) “isolate” the body by drawing its outlined shape.
(2) Label all the forces and couple moments with reference to an
established x, y, z coordinate system.
It is suggested to show the unknown components of reaction as
acting on the free-body diagram in the positive sense. In this way, if
any negative values are obtained, they will indicate that the
components act in the negative coordinate directions.

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Equations of equilibrium
The conditions for equilibrium of a rigid body subjected to a three-
dimensional force system require that both the resultant force and
resultant couple moment acting on the body be equal to zero.
 Vector equations of equilibrium. The two conditions for equilibrium
of a rigid body may be expressed mathematically in vector form as:
F  0 M O 0
where ∑F is the vector sum of all the external forces acting on the body
and ∑MO is the sum of the couple moments and the moments of all the
forces about any point O located either on or off the body.
 Scalar equations of equilibrium. If all the external forces and couple
moments are expressed in Cartesian vector form, then
F   F i   F
x y j   Fz k  0  M  M O x i  My j Mz k  0
Since the i, j, and k components are independent from one another, the
above equations are satisfied provided
F x 0 F y 0 F z 0 M x 0 M y 0 M z 0
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Procedures for analysis
Three dimensional equilibrium problems for a rigid body can be solved
using the following procedure.
1) Free-body diagram
 Draw an outlined shape of the body.
 Show all the forces and couple moments acting on the body.
 Establish the origin of the x, y, z axes at a convenient point and orient
the axes so that they are parallel to as many of the external forces and
moments as possible.
 Label all the loadings and specify their directions. In general, show all
the unknown components having a positive sense along the x, y, z
axes.
 Indicate the dimensions of the body necessary for computing the
moments of forces.

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Procedures for analysis
2) Equations of equilibrium
 If the x, y, z force and moment components seem easy to determine,
then apply the six scalar equations of equilibrium; otherwise use the
vector equations.
 It is not necessary that the set of axes chosen for force summation
coincide with the set of axes chosen for moment summation. Actually,
an axis in any arbitrary direction may be chosen for summing forces
and moments.
 Choose the direction of an axis for moment summation such that it
intersects the lines of action of as many unknown forces as possible.
Realize that the moments of forces passing through points on this axis
and the moments of forces which are parallel to the axis will then be
zero.
 If the solution of the equilibrium equation yields a negative scalar for
a force or couple moment magnitude, it indicates that the sense is
opposite to that assumed on the free-body diagram.
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E.g. 5.15

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E.g. 5.16

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E.g. 5.17

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E.g. 5.19

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Homework April 22nd

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Constraints and statical determinacy
To ensure the equilibrium of a rigid body, it is not only necessary to
satisfy the equations of equilibrium, but the body must also be properly
held or constrained by its supports.
Some bodies may have more supports than are necessary for
equilibrium, whereas others may not have enough or the supports may be
arranged in a particular manner that could cause the body to move.
 Redundant constraints
When a body has redundant supports, that is, more supports than are
necessary to hold it in equilibrium. It becomes statically indeterminate.
Statically indeterminate means that there will be more unknown loadings
on the body than equations of equilibrium available for their solution.

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 The pipe assembly has eight unknowns, for which only six equilibrium equations
can be written.
The additional equations needed to solve statically indeterminate problems are
generally obtained from the deformation conditions at the points of support.

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 Improper Constraints
Having the same number of unknown reactive forces as available
equations of equilibrium does not always guarantee that a body will be
stable when subjected to a particular loading.
For example, the pin support at A and the roller support at B for the
beam are placed in such a way that the lines of action of the reactive
forces are concurrent at point A. Consequently, the applied loading P will
cause the beam to rotate slightly about A, and so the beam is improperly
constrained, ∑MA≠0.

Another way in which improper constraining leads to instability occurs

when the reactive forces are all parallel. The summation of forces along
the x axis will not equal zero.

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 Partially constrained body
A body may have fewer reactive forces than equations of equilibrium
that must be satisfied. This body then becomes only partially constrained.
For example, consider member AB with its corresponding free-body
diagram. Here ∑Fy=0 will not be satisfied for the loading conditions and
therefore equilibrium will not be maintained.

In engineering practice, improperly constrained conditions should be

avoided at all times since they will cause an unstable condition.

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Review

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Review

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Review

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Review

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The moment about an axis:
Force F is applied on the gear. F=Fz+Fxy
Fz will not cause the rotation of the gear as Fz is parallel to the z axis.
Therefore, the moment about z axis caused by Fz is zero.
Only Fxy has a moment about z axis, which is equal to the moment
about C point caused by Fxy.
Generally, F is projected onto the Oxy plane which is perpendicular to
the z axis. Therefore, Fxy can be determined. (Point O is the intersection
of the Oxy plane and the z axis)
Mz(F)=MO(Fxy)=±Fxyh

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