IPRC KIGALI
ACADEMIC YEAR 2019-2020
PHY101: ENGINEERING PHYSICS
Module leader: Mr. Projecte HABYARIMANA
STATICS
FORCE AND LAWS OF FORCES
• A force is a pull or push exerted on a body which
changes or attempts to change the condition of the rest of
a body, or its state of URM.
• Because force is a vector quantity and it has magnitude
as well as direction, hence the addition of forces respects
the properties of addition of vectors.
(a) Parallelogram law of forces
Parallelogram law for the addition of forces is stated as follows:
If two forces acting at a point are represented in magnitude and
direction by the sides of a parallelogram drawn from the point,
their resultant is represented by the diagonal of the
parallelogram drawn from the point.
Where is the angle between F1 and F2
Examples:
1.Two forces of magnitude and are acting at a
point. If the angle between the two forces is ,
determine the magnitude of the resultant force?
2. Two equal forces are acting at a point with an angle of
between them. If the resultant force is equal to ,
find the magnitude of each force?
3. The resultant of the two forces, when they act at an angle
of is . If the same forces are acting at right
angles, their resultant is
Determine the magnitudes of the two forces?
(b) Triangle Law of Forces
• The triangle law of forces is stated as follows;
If three forces acting at a point can be represented in
magnitude and direction by three sides of triangle, taken in
order, then the forces are in equilibrium.
Lemi’s Theorem
It states that if a body is in equilibrium under the action of
three coplanar and concurrent forces, each of the forces is
proportional to the sine of the angle between the other two.
Examples
1. For the equilibrium situation of the system shown in the
figure below, find the values of and if the object`s
weight is
2. The below system (figure 2) is in its equilibrium
situation. What is the maximum value that can have
Fw if the coefficient of static friction between the
block and the tabletop is 0.25?
(c) Polygon Law of Forces
If more than three forces acting at a point can be
represented in size and direction by the sides of a
closed polygon, taken in order, then the forces are in
equilibrium.
RESOLUTION OF FORCES
It involves the splitting or resolving of one vector into two
components
Eg: Four coplanar forces act on a body at point as shown
in figure below. Find the resultant force and its direction.
MOMENT AND COUPLE OF FORCE
a) Moment of a force: The moment of a force about a point
is the product of the force and the perpendicular distance
from the line of action of the force to the point.
b) Couple of forces
• A couple consists of two equal and opposite forces whose
lines of action do not coincide
it always tends to change rotation.
e.g. A couple is applied to a water tap to open it
From Fig. above, we can say that the magnitude of the
moment or torque of the couple P-P about 0
= P x OA + P x OB (both are clockwise)
= P x AB
Torque of couple = one force x the perpendicular distance
between forces
General conditions for equilibrium
If a body is acted on by a number of coplanar forces
(i.e. forces in the same plane) and is in equilibrium
(i.e. there is rest or uncelebrated motion) then the
following two conditions must apply.
1.The components of the forces in both of any two
directions (usually taken at right angles) must balance.
2.The sum of the clockwise moments about any point
equals the sum of the anticlockwise moments about the
same point.
• In brief, if a body is in equilibrium the forces and the
moments must both balance
Examples:
1. Figure below shows a mobile of toy penguins hanging
from a ceiling. Each crossbar is horizontal, has
negligible mass, and extends three times as far to the
right of the wire supporting it as to the left. Penguin 1
has mass, m =48 kg. What are the masses of (a)
penguin2, (b) penguin 3, and (c) penguin 4? If the
system is in equilibrium.
2. A sign of mass 5.0 kg is hung from the end B of a uniform
bar AB of mass 2.0 kg. The bar is hinged to a wall at A
and held horizontal by a wire joining B to a point C which
is on the wall vertically above A. If angle ABC is 30o, find
the force in the wire and that exerted by the hinge.
(g =10 ms-2)
3. The beam in the figure below has a weight of 100N. If
the system hangs in equilibrium when , what
is the value of ?
4. Observe the figure below and calculate the magnitude of
the reactions RA and RB, take A as a point of rotation.
5. A ladder leans against a smooth wall as shown in figure
below (by ‘smooth’ wall, we mean that the wall exerts on
the ladder only a force that is perpendicular to the wall. So,
there is no friction force). The ladder weighs 200 N and its
centre of gravity is from the base, where is the
ladder’s length. How large a friction force must exist at
the base of the ladder if it is not to slip?
6. A 2 kg mass in limiting equilibrium rests on a rough plane
inclined at an angle of 30 deg. to the horizontal. Show
that the coefficient of friction between the mass and the
plane is √3 / 3 .
