Mechanics for Engineers
Questions for Practice
Module-1
Short questions
Define the law of transmissibility of a force.
How to completely specify a force?
State Varignon's Principle of Moment.
What is meant by resultant force?
Define moment of a force.
What are the angles between two forces to make their resultant a minimum and maximum
respectively?
Two forces of magnitude, 10N, and 8N, act simultaneously at a point. What are the maximum and
minimum values of the resultant?
What is the equilibrant of a system of forces?
Distinguish clearly between the resolution of forces and the composition of forces.
If the x-component of a 10N force is 8 N, then find the value y-component.
Long question
1. State and prove the parallelogram law of forces. (6 marks)
2. State and prove the triangle law of forces. (6 marks)
3. The resultant of two forces, one of which is three times the other, is 300 N. When the direction
of the smaller force is reversed, the resultant is 200 N. Determine the two forces and the angle
between them. (6 marks)
4. Two forces act at an angle of 120°. The bigger force is 40 N, and the resultant is perpendicular to
the smaller one. Find the smaller force. (6 marks)
5. Explain the procedure for analytically determining the resultant force by the resolution method.
(4 marks)
6. Determine the resultant of a system of four forces acting on a body as shown in the figure. (8
marks)
7. State and prove the law of parallelogram of forces. (6 marks)
8. Find the magnitude and direction of the resultant of two forces, P=50N and Q=70N, respectively,
acting at a point with an included angle of 60. (6 marks)
9. Define the moment of a force and the moment of a couple. (6 marks)
10. A force of 15 N is applied at an angle of 60° to the edge of a door 0.8 m wide, as shown in Fig.
Find the moment of the force about the hinge. (6 marks)
11. Find the magnitude and direction of the resultant force. (12 marks)
12. Short Notes
Coplanar non-concurrent forces
Moment of force
Moment of couple
Principle of transmissibility of forces
Coplanar concurrent forces
Resolution of forces
Polygon law of forces
Triangle law of forces
Clockwise and anticlockwise moments
Parallelogram law of forces