Chapter-3

FORCE ACTING ON
PARTICLES AND
RIGID BODY
Er. Anup Shrestha
Senior Lecturer
Project/Lab Coordinator
Sagarmatha Engineering College
 3.1 Forces and Moments
1. External Forces and Moments
• which are applied from external environment to the structure which are simply known as loads in
structure.
a. Surface Forces and Moments
• The external forces which are acting on the structure act on the surface and transmitted to the
body of structure by contact.
a. Body Forces
• The external forces that act on every point of the body are body forces and are not transmitted
by contact. Gravitational force, electromagnetic forces are two examples of body forces.
2. Reaction Forces and Moments
• The forces which are developed at the supports due to external load at the support to resist the
movement are reaction forces. These are unknown and must be calculated using equations of
equilibrium.
3. Internal Forces and Moments
• These are the forces which are developed inside the body and resist the applied force and are
present irrespective of the external forces are internal forces.
Er. Anup Shrestha 2
 3.2 Resolution and Composition of force: Relevant Examples
• Resolution of a vector or a force is the process of splitting the vector in specified direction
without changing the effect of the original vector.
• Rectangular components of a force:
So we can use the rules of trigonometry to find the resolved component
• Fx = Fcosθ
• Fy = Fsinθ
If i and j be the unit vectors along x and y
direction then we can write F as
• F = F xi + F y j
• F= Fcosθi + Fsinθj

Er. Anup Shrestha 3

3.2 Resolution and Composition of force: Relevant
Examples
Note: When number of forces are acting at a point or a body then
• Fx = σ𝒏𝒊=𝟏 𝑭𝒙𝒊
• Fy = σ𝒏𝒊=𝟏 𝑭𝒚𝒊
Total resultant force = F = Fxi + Fyj
Example-1
Determine the values of unknown forces P and Q for the system of forces to be in equilibrium. (BCT 2074
Chaitra)

Er. Anup Shrestha 4

3.2 Rectangular components of force in space
F = Fxi + Fyj + Fzk
If θx , θy and θz be the angles made by F with X, Y and Z axes
respectively then we can write
Fx = Fcos θx
Fy = F cos θy
Fz = F cos θz

𝑭= 𝐹𝑥2 + 𝐹𝑦2 + 𝐹𝑧2

Also Also we can write

𝐹𝑥 𝑭= Fcos θxi + F cos θy j + F cos θz k
cos θx = 𝐹
𝑭= 𝐹 ෝ𝑢
𝐹𝑦
cos θy = 𝐹 Where u is the unit vector of force and given by
𝐹𝑧
cos θz = ෝ𝑢 = cos θxi + cos θy j + cos θz k
𝐹
Er. Anup Shrestha 5
3.2 Rectangular components of force in space

• Example-2: The magnitude of F is 500N then calculate the components and 𝑭

Er. Anup Shrestha 6

3.3 Moments and couples
• The moment is defined as the turning effect produced by a force. In engineering
the moment is given by the external forces and we are required to calculate the
moment either about a point or about a line or axis.

1. Moment of a force about a point:

• Moment of a force about the axis of rotation is simply
the product of Force and its perpendicular distance from axis of rotation.
𝑀 = 𝑟Ԧ X 𝐹Ԧ
In magnitude form, M = Fr sinθ =F d
• where θ is the angle between F and d vectors.

(Note: Since Moment is result of vector product,

the direction is governed by right hand rule)

Er. Anup Shrestha 7

3.3 Moments and couples
Example 3: A rectangular plate is supported by brackets at A and B and by a
wire CD . Knowing that the tension in the wire is 200 N, determine the moment
about A of the force exerted by the wire on point C .
Hints:
r = rAC
T = TCD
MA = 𝑟𝐴𝐶 X 𝑇𝐶𝐷

Er. Anup Shrestha 8

3.3 Moments and couples
2. Moment of a force about an axis or line:
Moment of a force about an axis is defined as the projection of the moment due to
force on the required line or axis.
If F is the force acting at A which is acting at a distance r from origin O as shown in
the figure. We are required to calculate the moment of F about line or axis OL then.
F = Fxi + Fyj + Fzk
rOA can be calculated hence moment about O due to force F is given by
Mo = 𝑟𝑂𝐴 X 𝐹Ԧ
If λ be the unit vector along OL,
λOL can be calculated as like rOA
Hence Moment of Force F about OL = λOL X Mo

Er. Anup Shrestha 9

3.3 Moments and couples
• Example-4: A cube of side a is acted upon by a force P as shown. Determine the moment
of P ( a ) about A , ( b ) about the edge AB , ( c ) about the diagonal AG of the cube (d)
perpendicular distance between AG and FC.

Er. Anup Shrestha 10

3.4 Varignon’s Theorem
• It states, “If a number of coplanar forces are acting simultaneously on a particle, the algebraic sum of the
moments of all the forces about any point is equal to the moment of their resultant force about the same point.”

If several forces F1 , F2 , . . . are applied at the same point A, and if we denote by r the position vector of A, then
according to Varignon’s theorem
r X (F1 + F2 + F3 ……….) = r1 X F1 + r2 X F2 + r3 X F3

Er. Anup Shrestha 11

Example-5
Determine the resultant force and
moment about point O.
(BCE 2074 Bhadra)

Er. Anup Shrestha 12

 Couple
• Two forces F and -F having the same magnitude, parallel lines of action, and opposite sense
separated by certain distance are said to form a couple as shown in figure.
If r be the distance between the forces of couple and F be the force then
• M = rXF vectorically

The vector M is called the moment of the couple ; it is a vector

perpendicular to the plane containing the two forces, and its magnitude is
• M = rF sinθ = Fd

On the basis of the rotation, couples are classified as

clockwise and anticlockwise couple. IF the couple rotates the
body in clockwise direction it is clockwise couple and if it
rotates in anticlockwise direction then it is
anticlockwise couple.

Er. Anup Shrestha 13

 Couple
• Characteristics of a couple
A couple (whether clockwise or anticlockwise) has the following characteristics:
1. The algebraic sum of the forces, constituting the couple, is zero.
2. The algebraic sum of the moments of the forces, constituting the couple, about any point is the same,
and equal to the moment of the couple itself.
3. A couple cannot be balanced by a single force. But it can be balanced only by a couple of opposite
sense.
4. Any no. of coplaner couples can be reduced to a single couple, whose magnitude will be equal to the
algebraic sum of the moments of all the couples.
• Sign Convention for moment due to couple
The direction of couple is given by right hand thumb rule which states that “While placing four curl
fingers of right hand in direction where the body is rotating or tends to rotate, the thumb gives the
direction of moment.”
• So summarizing this, we can say anticlockwise moment is taken positive in sign and clockwise
moment is taken negative in sign.
Er. Anup Shrestha 14
3.4 Resolution of force into forces and a couple:

M0 = r X F
any force F acting on a rigid body can be
moved to an arbitrary point O provided that
a couple is added whose moment is equal to
the moment of F about O.

Mo’ = Mo + s X F

Er. Anup Shrestha 15

3.5 Resultant of force and moment for a system of
force

FR = σ 𝐹
𝑀𝑜𝑅 =σ 𝑀𝑜
𝑀𝑜𝑅
d=
FR
Er. Anup Shrestha 16
3.5 Resultant of force and moment for a
system of force
• Example-6: Determine the magnitude, direction and line of action of the
resultant of forces acting in the system as shown in figure below:
(BCE 2075 Baishakh)

Er. Anup Shrestha 17

Reduction of System of Forces to a wrench
The axis of the wrench has the same line of action as the force. Hence wrench tends
to cause both translational and rotational motion about an axis.

Pitch of the wrench, p =

M1 / FR
𝑅
𝐹𝑅 . 𝑀𝑂
p=
𝐹𝑅2

Er. Anup Shrestha 18

Steps for numericals related to wrench (Calculation of equivalent
wrench)

1. Calculate the resultant force (FR) and resultant moment due to couple and force
(𝑀𝑂𝑅 ) at O
𝑅
𝐹𝑅 . 𝑀𝑂
2. Calculate the pitch of the wrench, p =
𝐹𝑅2
3. Calculate the couple moment (M1) = p FR
4. Assume the line of action: r = xi +yj+zk
5. 𝑀𝑂𝑅 = M1 +r X FR
6. Equating the coefficients of i, j and k at both sides of equation, x,y and z can be
determined.
(Also if any other condition given use that. For e.g. assume XY plane then z=0)

Er. Anup Shrestha 19

Wrench
Example-7: Replace the two wrenches as
shown in the figure below by a single
equivalent wrench and determine the
point where its axis intersects the XZ
plane.

Er. Anup Shrestha 20

Miscellaneous examples
• Example-8: What is the equivalent force system at position A for the 100N force
shown in figure.

Er. Anup Shrestha 21

Miscellaneous examples
• Three gay wires are used in the support system for
a television transmission tower that is 600m tall.
Wire A and B are tightened to a tension of 60KN,
whereas wire C has only 30KN of tension. What is
the moment of wire forces about the base O of the
tower? The Y axis is collinear with AO.

Er. Anup Shrestha 22