Chapter 4

Equilibrium of a Rigid
Body
4.1 Conditions for Rigid-Body
Equilibrium
• EQUILIBRIUM IN TWO DIMENSIONS
 4.2 Free-Body Diagrams
Successful application of the equations of
equilibrium requires a complete specification of
all the known and unknown external forces that
act on the body. The best way to account for
these forces is to draw a free-body diagram.
Support Reactions

• If a support prevents the translation of a body

in a given direction, then a force is developed
on the body in that direction.
• If rotation is prevented, a couple moment is
exerted on the body.
• Internal Forces
The internal forces that act between adjacent
particles in a body always occur in collinear pairs
such that they have the same magnitude and act
in opposite directions (Newton’s third law).
Since these forces cancel each other, they will
not create an external effect on the body.
• Weight and the Center of Gravity
When a body is within a gravitational field, then
each of its particles has a specified weight. It
was shown in Sec. 3.8 that such a system of
forces can be reduced to a single resultant force
acting through a specified point. We refer to this
force resultant as the weight W of the body and
to the location of its point of application as the
center of gravity.
• Idealized Models
When an engineer performs a force analysis of
any object, he or she considers a corresponding
analytical or idealized model that gives results
that approximate as closely as possible the
actual situation. To do this, careful choices have
to be made so that selection of the type of
supports, the material behavior, and the object’s
dimensions can be justified.
 Procedure for Analysis
To construct 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.
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 (see Table 4–1 ), and (3) the weight of
the body. To account for all these effects, it may
help to trace over the boundary, carefully noting
each force or couple moment acting on it.
Identify Each Loading and Give Dimensions.
The forces and couple moments that are known
should be labeled with their 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,
A x , A y , etc., can be identified. Finally, indicate
the dimensions of the body necessary for
calculating the moments of forces.
 Important Points
• No equilibrium problem should be solved
without first drawing the free-body diagram ,
so as to account for all the forces and couple
moments that act on the body.
• If a support prevents translation of a body in a
particular direction, then the support exerts a
force on the body in that direction.
• If rotation is prevented , then the support
exerts a couple moment on the body.
• Study Table 4–1 .
• Internal forces are never shown on the free-
body diagram since they occur in equal but
opposite collinear pairs and therefore cancel
out.
• The weight of a body is an external force, and
its effect is represented by a single resultant
force acting through the body’s center of
gravity G .
• Couple moments can be placed anywhere on
the free-body diagram since they are free
vectors. Forces can act at any point along their
lines of action since they are sliding vectors .
• EXAMPLE4.1
Draw the free-body diagram of the uniform
beam shown in Fig. 5–7 a .The beam has a mass
of 100 kg
• EXAMPLE4.2
Draw the free-body diagram of the foot lever
shown below. The operator applies a vertical
force to the pedal so that the spring is
stretched 1.5 in. and the force on the link at B is
20 lb.
• EXAMPLE4.3
Two smooth pipes, each having a mass of 300
kg, are supported by the forked tines of the
tractor in Fig. 5–9 a . Draw the free-body
diagrams for each pipe and both pipes together.
• EXAMPLE4.4
 4.3 Equations of Equilibrium
In Sec. 4.1 we developed the two equations
which are both necessary and sufficient for the
equilibrium of a rigid body, namely, ∑ F = 0 and
∑ M O = 0 .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
• Alternative Sets of Equilibrium Equations
One such set is
A second alternative set of equilibrium
equations is
 Procedure for Analysis
Coplanar force equilibrium problems for a rigid
body can be solved using the following
procedure.
Free-Body Diagram.
• Establish the x, y coordinate axes in any
suitable orientation.
• 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.
Equations of Equilibrium.
• Apply the moment equation of equilibrium,
∑ M O = 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.
• 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.
• EXAMPLE4.5
• EXAMPLE4.7
• EXAMPLE4.8
• EXAMPLE4.8
• EXAMPLE4.8
• EXAMPLE4.11
 4.4 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.
• Two-Force
As the name implies, a two-force member has
forces applied at only two points on the
member.
• 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
• EXAMPLE4.13
 4.5 Free-Body Diagrams
(in three dimensions)
• 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 Table 4–2 . 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 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.
Typical examples of actual supports that are
referenced to Table 4–2 are shown in the
following sequence of photos.
• Free-Body Diagrams
The general procedure for establishing the free-
body diagram of a rigid body has been outlined
in Sec. 4.2 . Essentially it requires first “isolating”
the body by drawing its outlined shape. This is
followed by a careful labeling of all the forces
and couple moments with reference to an
established x, y, z coordinate system.
As a general rule, 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.
• EXAMPLE4.14
 4.6 Equations of Equilibrium
As stated in Sec. 4.1 , 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

∑F = 0 (5–5)
∑M = 0O

where ∑ F = 0 is the vector sum of all the

external forces acting on the body and ∑ M O = 0 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 and
substituted into Eqs. 4–5 , we have

∑F =∑F i+∑F j+∑F k =0

X y Z

∑M = ∑M i+∑M j +∑M k =0
O X y Z
Since the i , j , and k components are
independent from one another, the above
equations are satisfied provided

∑F x =0 ∑M x =0

∑F y =0 （ 5–6a ） ∑M y =0 (5–6b)
∑F z =0 ∑M z =0
 5.7 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.
 Important Points
• Always draw the free-body diagram first when
solving any equilibrium problem.
• If a support prevents translation of a body in a
specific direction, then the support exerts a
force on the body in that direction.
• If a support prevents rotation about an axis ,
then the support exerts a couple moment on
the body about the axis.
 Important Points
• If a body is subjected to more unknown
reactions than available equations of
equilibrium, then the problem is statically
indeterminate .
• A stable body requires that the lines of action
of the reactive forces do not intersect a
common axis and are not parallel to one
another.
 Procedure for Analysis
Three-dimensional equilibrium problems for a
rigid body can be solved using the following
procedure.
Free-Body Diagram.
• Draw an outlined shape of the body.
• Show all the forces and couple moments
acting on the body.
 Procedure for Analysis
• 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.
• 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 equations
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.
• EXAMPLE4.15
• EXAMPLE4.16
• EXAMPLE4.17
• EXAMPLE4.18
CHAPTER REVIEW
1.
Homework
2.