QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY

College of Agriculture, Forestry and Engineering

Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
…setting trends towards sustainable development

Module 2: Principles of Statics

I. Module Overview
This module introduces the fundamental principles of statics, a branch
of engineering mechanics concerned with the analysis of forces acting on
bodies in equilibrium. It covers the basic concepts of mechanics, force
systems, vectors, Newton's laws of motion, and the conditions necessary for
equilibrium.

II. Intended Learning Outcomes

After the module, you should be able to:

1. Explain the basic principles and assumptions of statics.
2. Identify and classify different types of forces acting on a body.
3. Apply the principles of equilibrium to particles and rigid bodies.
4. Construct and interpret free-body diagrams.
5. Solve simple equilibrium problems involving concurrent force systems.

III. Take-Off

IV. Content Focus

1. Introduction to Engineering Mechanics
 Engineering Mechanics is the branch of physical science that deals
with the behavior of bodies under the action of forces. (“bodies/body
= any physical objects that can experience forces and respond through
rest, motion, or deformation)
 It studies how forces affect the state of rest or motion of objects
and provides the principles needed to analyze and design
engineering structures, machines, and systems.
 In engineering, mechanics is essential because every structure or
machine is subjected to forces during operation. Engineers use the
principles of mechanics to determine whether a structure can safely
support loads, whether a machine component can withstand applied
forces, and how objects will move when subjected to various
forces.
 Mechanics is founded on the laws of motion developed by Isaac
Newton and is generally divided into two major branches: rigid-
body mechanics (statics) and mechanics of deformable bodies
(dynamics).
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Agriculture, Forestry and Engineering
Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
…setting trends towards sustainable development

Figure 1. Outline of Engineering Mechanics

2. Branches of Engineering Mechanics

a. Statics – is the branch of mechanics that deals with bodies in

equilibrium.
(“Equilibrium – is a state of a body in which all the forces acting on it
are balanced, resulting in no acceleration.”)

In statics, the forces acting on a body are balanced, resulting in no

acceleration. A body may be at rest or moving with constant velocity.
Example:
 A bridge supporting vehicles.
 A water tank resting on a platform.
 A tractor parked on level ground.

b. Dynamics – is the branch of mechanics that deals with bodies in

motion under the action of unbalanced forces. Dynamics is further
divided into:
i. Kinematics – describes motion without considering the
forces causing it. It focuses on displacement, velocity,
acceleration, and time.

Example:
Determining the speed and acceleration of a tractor moving
across a field.

ii. Kinetics – relates the motion of bodies to the forces producing

that motion.

Example:
Determining the force required for a tractor to pull an implement
through the soil.
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Agriculture, Forestry and Engineering
Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
…setting trends towards sustainable development

3. Foundation of Engineering Mechanics

Engineering Mechanics was founded on Newton’s Laws of Motion.

How Newton’s Laws form the Foundation of Engineering Mechanics?

1. First Law (Law of Inertia) – Basis of Statics and Equilibrium

Newton’s First Law states that “a body remains at rest or moves with
constant velocity unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.”

2. Second Law (Law of Acceleration; F = ma) – Basis of Dynamics

A force will cause an object to accelerate in the direction of the net force, and
the magnitude of the acceleration will be proportional to the net force but
inversely proportional to the mass of the object.

3. Third Law (Law of Action - Reaction) – Basis of Force Interactions

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

4. Fundamental Concepts and Definitions

a. Rigid Body
A rigid body is defined as a body which doesn’t deform under
load. In reality no body is perfectly rigid. When equal and opposite
forces are applied to a body, it is always deformed. But in many
cases, this deformation is negligible compared to the size of the body,
thus, the body may be assumed rigid.

b. Force

At its simplest definition, a force is a “push or pull” exerted on a body

that tends to change its state of rest or motion.

Types of Forces
1. Point Force or Concentrated Force – A point force is a force
assumed to act at a single point on a body. Although every real force
is distributed to over a small area, it is often convenient in engineering
analysis to consider the force as acting at one point.
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Agriculture, Forestry and Engineering
Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
…setting trends towards sustainable development

2. Body Force – a force that acts throughout the entire volume or

mass of a body rather than at a specific point or surface.

3. Reaction Force – is the force exerted by a support or constraint

on a body to maintain equilibrium.

4. Distributed Force – is a force spread continuously over a

length, area, or volume of a body rather than concentrated at a
single point.
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Agriculture, Forestry and Engineering
Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
…setting trends towards sustainable development

The characteristics of a force are (1) its magnitude, (2) direction

(3) the position of its line of action or the point of application, and (4)
the direction (or sense) in which the force acts along its line of action.

A
30°

C P = 10 lbs

Figure 2. Characteristics of a
Force
For example, for the force shown in Figure 2, magnitude of force is 10
lbs, direction is 30° with the horizontal in fourth quadrant, point of
application is at C and the line of action is AB.

c. Line of action of a force

It is defined as the line along which a force may be considered
to act.
The principle of transmissibility of a force states that the
external effect of a force on a body is the same for all points of
application along its line of action; i.e., it is independent of the point of
application. The internal effect of a force, however, is definitely
dependent on its point of application.

In its simplest definition, “A force can be moved along it’s line of

action and the net external effects remain the same.”
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Agriculture, Forestry and Engineering
Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
…setting trends towards sustainable development

5. Force Systems
A force system is any arrangement where two or more forces act
on a body or on a group of related bodies.

Figure 3. Diagram showing the Types of Force Systems

a. Coplanar Force System

When the lines of action of a set of forces lie in a single plane, it
is called coplanar force system.

b. Non - Coplanar Force System

When the line of action of all the forces do not lie in one plane, it
is called as Non-coplanar force system.

Figure 4. Example of a Non-Coplanar Force

System

c. Collinear Force System

When the lines of action of all the forces of a system act along
the same line, then the system is called collinear force system.

Figure 5. Example of a Collinear Force System

QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Agriculture, Forestry and Engineering
Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
…setting trends towards sustainable development

d. Parallel Force System

When the lines of action of all the forces of a system are parallel
with each other, then the system is called parallel force system.

Figure 6. Example of a Parallel Force System

e. Concurrent Force System

The forces when extended will pass through a single point and
the point is called point of concurrency. The lines of actions of all
forces meet at the point of concurrency. Concurrent Forces may or
may not be coplanar.

f. Non - Concurrent Force System

When the forces of a system do not meet at a common point of
concurrency, this type of force system is called non-concurrent force
system. Parallel forces are the example of this type of force system.
Non-concurrent forces may be coplanar or non-coplanar.

g. Coplanar and concurrent force system

A force system in which all the forces lie in a single plane and
meet at one point.

For example, forces acting at joint C of a roof truss (see Fig.7).

P = external force
F1 to F5 = Member forces (internal) RA and RB = Reactions

Figure 7. Example of a Coplanar and Concurrent Force System

QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Agriculture, Forestry and Engineering
Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
…setting trends towards sustainable development

h. Coplanar and non - concurrent force system

These forces do not meet at a common point. However, they lie
in a single plane. For example, forces acting on a beam as shown in
Figure 8.

Figure 8. Example of a Coplanar and Non-concurrent Force

System
i.
Non-coplanar and concurrent force system
The forces lie in a different planes but pass through a single
point. A good example is the forces acting at the top end of an
electrical post as shown in Figure 9.

Figure 9. Example of a non-coplanar and concurrent force

system
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Agriculture, Forestry and Engineering
Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
…setting trends towards sustainable development

j. Non-coplanar and non-concurrent force system

The forces which do not lie in a single plane and do not pass
through a single point is known as non-coplanar and non-concurrent
forces. Example is the loads transferred through columns to the
rectangular mat foundation as shown in Figure 10.

Figure 10. Example of a non-coplanar and non-concurrent force

system
6.
Units
In Engineering Mechanics, physical quantities such as force, mass, length,
time, velocity, and acceleration must be expressed using standard units.
The use of a consistent system of units ensures accuracy in
calculations, effective communication among engineers, and
uniformity in engineering design and analysis. Understanding units is
essential because every engineering equation must be dimensionally
consistent, meaning that the units on both sides of an equation must be
equivalent.

a. International System of Units (SI) – the SI system is the most

widely used system of measurement throughout the world. It is based
on the metric system and uses decimal multiples and submultiples.

Quantity Unit Symbol

Length meter m
Mass kilogram kg
Time second s
Force newton N
Work/Energy joule J
Power watt W
Pressure pascal Pa
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Agriculture, Forestry and Engineering
Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
…setting trends towards sustainable development

Note:
A force of one newton is defined as the force required to accelerate a
mass of one kilogram at a rate of one meter per second squared.

2
1 N=1 kg . m/s

b. US Customary System (USCS) – the US Customary System is

commonly used in the United States and in some engineering
references.

Quantity Unit Symbol

Length foot ft
Mass slug slug
Time second S
Force pound lb

c. Unit Conversion – Engineers often need to convert measurements

from one unit system to another. Common conversion factors include:

Quantity Conversion
Length 1 m = 100 cm
1 km = 1000 m
Force 1 kN = 1000 N
1 kg = 2.2 lb
1 kg = 9.81 N
1 kips = 1000 lbs
Mass 1 ton = 1000 kg

Note:
Careful unit conversion is necessary to avoid errors in engineering
calculations.

7. Axioms of Mechanics
The principles of mechanics are postulated upon several more or less
self-evident facts which cannot be proved mathematically but can only be
demonstrated to be true. We shall call these facts the fundamental axioms of
mechanics. The axioms are stated in the following form:
a) The parallelogram law: the resultant of two forces is the diagonal of
the parallelogram formed on the vectors of these forces.
b) Two forces are in equilibrium only when equal in magnitude, opposite
in direction, and collinear in action.
c) A set of forces in equilibrium may be added to any system of forces
without changing the effect of the original system
d) Action and reaction forces are equal but oppositely directed.

8. Introduction to Free-Body Diagrams

QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Agriculture, Forestry and Engineering
Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
…setting trends towards sustainable development

The free-body diagram is a diagram which focuses on the forces

acting on an object, not the mechanisms that hold it in place.

A Free-Body Diagram (FBD) is a simplified sketch of an object that

shows all the external forces and moments acting on it after it has been
isolated from its surroundings. The purpose of an FBD is to help engineers
analyze the forces acting on a body and determine whether the body is in
equilibrium.

When we say that an FBD focuses on the forces acting on an object

and not the mechanisms that hold it in place, it means that we remove or
"free" the object from its supports, connections, or contacts and replace them
with the forces those supports exert on the object.

9. Scalar and Vector Quantities – Physical quantities are used to describe the
properties and behavior of objects in the physical world. In engineering
mechanics, these quantities are classified into two categories: scalar
quantities and vector quantities.

a. Scalars. Imagine two groups of marbles, one consisting of 10 marbles

and the other of 5. If a common group is formed by mixing them, the
resultant number will be 15 marbles, a result obtained by arithmetical
addition.

Quantities which possess magnitude only and can be added

arithmetically are defined as scalar quantities.

Examples of Scalar Quantities:

 Mass
 Time
 Temperature
 Length
 Distance
 Area
 Volume
 Density
 Energy
 Power
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Agriculture, Forestry and Engineering
Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
…setting trends towards sustainable development

b. Vectors. A vector of a quantity is a physical quantity that possesses

both magnitude and direction. Both characteristics must be
specified to completely describe a vector.

Examples of Vector Quantities:

 Force
 Velocity
 Acceleration
 Displacement
 Momentum
 Weight

[Link] Addition
Vectors being added together are called the components, and the sum
of the components is called the resultant vector.

a. Parallelogram Law – it states that if two vectors acting

simultaneously on a particle are represented in magnitude and
direction by the two adjacent sides of a parallelogram drawn from a
common point, then their resultant is represented in magnitude and
direction by the diagonal of the parallelogram passing through the
common point.

The parallelogram law cannot be proved; it can only be demonstrated

by experiments.
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Agriculture, Forestry and Engineering
Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
…setting trends towards sustainable development

Note:
Remember the tip-to-tail method.

Steps in using the Parallelogram Law or Parallelogram Rule:

 Place both vectors’ tails at the origin, then complete a
parallelogram with lines parallel to each vector through the tip
of the other. The resultant is equal to the diagonal from the tails
to the opposite corner.

b. Triangle Law – it states that if two vectors are represented in

magnitude and direction by two sides of a triangle taken in order, then
their resultant is represented by the third side of the triangle taken in
the opposite order.
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Agriculture, Forestry and Engineering
Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
…setting trends towards sustainable development

V. Enrichment Activities

Activity 1.
1. Give at least one example in each of the Force Systems discussed that
can be seen in your community. Draw and explain what makes it as an
example of a certain force system.

VI. Comprehension Check

Direction:. Choose the letter of the correct answer from the given choices.
1. A(n) _____________ is a quantity that represents a push or a pull
a. velocity b. force c. displacement d. acceleration
2. The honorary unit used to measure force is the ___________.
a. Joule b. Newton c. meter d. Farad
3. The base units for force are ____________.
a. kg(m)/s2 b. m/s2 c. kg(m2)/s2 d. kg(m)/s
4. Statics studies situations where ___________.
a. the net is non zero b. all forces are zero
c. the net force is zero d. all forces are non zero
5. The graphic below is an example of a _____________.
a. position time graph b. 4-way intersection
c. free body diagram d. decision tree
 QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Agriculture, Forestry and Engineering
Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
…setting trends towards sustainable development

Fnorm

Ffrict Fapp

Fgray

Answers:
1. b. force
2. b. Newton
3. a. kg(m)/s2
4. c. the net force is zero
5. c. free body diagram

VII. References

Singer, Ferdinand L. (1941). Engineering Mechanics. Second Edition. Philippine

Graphic Arts, Inc.: Philippines

Bansai, R.K. (2003). A Textbook of Engineering Mechanics. Laxmi Publications

(P) LTD 22, New Delhi

Nitsure, S.P. (2006). Engineering Mechanics. First Edition. Technical Publications

Pune, India

Hibbeler, R.C. (2011). Mechanics of Materials. Eight Edition. Pearson Prentice

Hall.