GET103: ENGINEERING APPLIED

MATHEMATICS

MODULE 1:
REPRESENTATION OF VECTORS: RESULTANT OF
SEVERAL VECTORS

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Resultant of Two Forces
• force: action of one body on another; characterized by
its point of application, magnitude , line of action, and
sense.

• Experimental evidence shows that the combined effect of

two forces may be represented by a single resultant force.

• The resultant is equivalent to the diagonal of a

parallelogram which contains the two forces in adjacent
legs.

• Force is a vector quantity.

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 Vectors
• Vector: parameters possessing magnitude and direction which add
according to the parallelogram law. Examples: displacements, velocities,
accelerations.
• Scalar: parameters possessing magnitude but not direction. Examples:
mass, volume, temperature
• Vector classifications:
- Fixed or bound vectors have well defined points of application that
cannot be changed without affecting
an analysis.
- Free vectors may be freely moved in space without changing their
effect on an analysis.
- Sliding vectors may be applied anywhere along their line of action
without affecting an analysis.
• Equal vectors have the same magnitude and direction.
• Negative vector of a given vector has the same magnitude and the
opposite direction.
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 Addition of Vectors
• Trapezoid rule for vector addition

• Triangle rule for vector addition

• Law of cosines,
C
B

• Law of sines,

• Vector addition is commutative,

• Vector subtraction

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Addition of Vectors
• Addition of three or more vectors through repeated
application of the triangle rule

• The polygon rule for the addition of three or more vectors.

• Vector addition is associative,

• Multiplication of a vector by a scalar

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Resultant of Several Concurrent Forces
• Concurrent forces: set of forces which all pass through
the same point.

A set of concurrent forces applied to a particle may be

replaced by a single resultant force which is the vector
sum of the applied forces.

• Vector force components: two or more force vectors

which, together, have the same effect as a single force
vector.

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 Sample Problem 1
SOLUTION:
• Graphical solution - construct a parallelogram with
sides in the same direction as P and Q and lengths
in proportion. Graphically evaluate the resultant
which is equivalent in direction and proportional in
magnitude to the the diagonal.

The two forces act on a bolt at A.

Determine their resultant. • Trigonometric solution - use the triangle rule for
vector addition in conjunction with the law of cosines
and law of sines to find the resultant.

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Sample Problem 1
• Graphical solution - A parallelogram with sides equal to P
and Q is drawn to scale. The magnitude and direction of
the resultant or of the diagonal to the parallelogram are
measured,

• Graphical solution - A triangle is drawn with P and Q head-to-

tail and to scale. The magnitude and direction of the
resultant or of the third side of the triangle are measured,

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Sample Problem 1
• Trigonometric solution - Apply the triangle rule.
From the Law of Cosines,

From the Law of Sines,

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 Sample Problem 2
SOLUTION:
• Find a graphical solution by applying the Parallelogram
Rule for vector addition. The parallelogram has sides in
the directions of the two ropes and a diagonal in the
direction of the barge axis and length proportional to
5000 lbf.

A barge is pulled by two tugboats. If the

resultant of the forces exerted by the • Find a trigonometric solution by applying the Triangle
tugboats is 5000 lbf directed along the Rule for vector addition. With the magnitude and
axis of the barge, determine direction of the resultant known and the directions of
the other two sides parallel to the ropes given, apply
the Law of Sines to find the rope tensions.
a) the tension in each of the ropes for α =
45o , • The angle for minimum tension in rope 2 is determined by
b) the value of α for which the tension in applying the Triangle Rule and observing the effect of
rope 2 is a minimum. variations in α.
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Sample Problem 2

• Graphical solution - Parallelogram Rule with known

resultant direction and magnitude, known directions
for sides.

• Trigonometric solution - Triangle Rule with Law of

Sines

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Sample Problem 2
• The angle for minimum tension in rope 2 is determined by
applying the Triangle Rule and observing the effect of
variations in α.

• The minimum tension in rope 2 occurs when T1 and T2 are

perpendicular.

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Rectangular Components of a Force:
Unit Vectors
• May resolve a force vector into perpendicular components so that the
resulting parallelogram is a rectangle. are referred
to as rectangular vector components and

• Define perpendicular unit vectors which are parallel to

the x and y axes.

• Vector components may be expressed as products of the unit vectors

with the scalar magnitudes of the vector components.

Fx and Fy are referred to as the scalar components of

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Addition of Forces by Summing
Components
• Wish to find the resultant of 3 or more concurrent forces,

• Resolve each force into rectangular components

• The scalar components of the resultant are equal to the sum

of the corresponding scalar components of the given forces.

• To find the resultant magnitude and direction,

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 Sample Problem 3
SOLUTION:
• Resolve each force into rectangular components.

• Determine the components of the resultant by

adding the corresponding force components.

• Calculate the magnitude and direction of the

Four forces act on bolt A as shown. Determine resultant.
the resultant of the force on the bolt.

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Sample Problem 3
SOLUTION:
• Resolve each force into rectangular components.

• Determine the components of the resultant by adding the

corresponding force components.
• Calculate the magnitude and direction.

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 Allassignmentss are to be
th
submitted on Tuesday 14 Januar,
2025 by10 am to the course rep

• An airplane travels on a bearing of 100° at an

airspeed of 190 km/h while a wind is blowing
48 km/h from 220°. Find the ground speed of
the airplane and the direction of its track, or
course, over the ground.

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 External and Internal Forces
• Forces acting on rigid bodies are divided
into two groups:
- External forces
- Internal forces

• External forces are shown in a free-body

diagram.

• If unopposed, each external force can

impart a motion of translation or rotation,
or both.
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 Principle of Transmissibility:
Equivalent Forces
• Principle of Transmissibility -
Conditions of equilibrium or motion are not
affected by transmitting a force along its line of
action.
NOTE: F and F’ are equivalent forces.

• Moving the point of application of the force

F to the rear bumper does not affect the
motion or the other forces acting on the
truck.

• Principle of transmissibility may not always

apply in determining internal forces and
deformations.

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 PRACTICE QUESTIONS
1. Determine the x and y components of each of the
forces shown. Also find the resultants of the forces.

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