Chapter 4

Force System Resultants

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Chapter 4
Force System Resultants
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
4.6
4.7
4.8
4.9

Moment of a Force--Scalar Formulation

Cross Product
Moment of a Force--Vector Formulation
Principle of Moments
Moment of a Force about a Specified Axis
Moment of a Couple
Simplification of a Force and Couple System
Further Simplification
Reduction of a Simple Distributed Loading
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4.9 Reduction of a Simple Distributed Loading

Uniform

Loading Along a Single Axis

p p ( x ) N /m

(a)

w ( x ) b p ( x ) N /m

(b)

Ch4. Force System Resultants

dF w ( x )dx N

(c)
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4.9 Reduction of a Simple Distributed Loading

Magnitude

of Resultant Force

dF w ( x)dx dA

FR dF w ( x ) dx dA A
L

Therefore, the magnitude of the resultant force is equal

to the total area A under the loading diagram.

(a)

(b)

Ch4. Force System Resultants

(c)
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4.9 Reduction of a Simple Distributed Loading

Location

M RO

of Resultant Force

xFR xw ( x ) dx xdA
L

x xw ( x ) dx
L

(a)

w ( x ) dx xdA dA
L

(b)

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Centroid

(c)
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4.9 Reduction of a Simple Distributed Loading

Key

Points

Coplanar distributed loadings are defined by using a loading

function w=w(x) indicating the intensity of the loading along
the length of a member. This intensity is measured in N/m.
The external effects caused by a coplanar distributed load
acting on a body can be represented by a single resultant
force.
This resultant force is equivalent to the area under the
loading diagram, and has a line of action that passes through
the centroid or geometric center of this area.

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Example 4.14
Determine the magnitude and location of the equivalent
resultant force acting on the shaft in Fig.4.14.

Fig. 4.14a

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Example 4.14

Solution
Magnitude FR by integration is:

dA wdx 60 x dx
2

FR dA

2m

60 x 2dx 160 N

Ans.

Location x of FR measured from O is determined by

x xdA FR

2m

60 x 3dx 160 1.5 m

Ans.

Fig. 4.14a

Ch4. Force System Resultants

Fig. 4.14b
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Example 4.15
A distributed loading of p=800x Pa acts over the top
surface of the beam shown in Fig.4.15a. Determine the
magnitude and location of the equivalent resultant force.

Fig. 4.15a

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Solution

Example 4.15

The loading can be viewed in two dimensions:

w( x) 0.2 p( x) 0.2 800 x 160 x N/m

x 9 m w 1440 N/m

Magnitude FR is equal to the area of the triangle. Hence

FR 9 1440 2 6480 N 6.48 kN

Ans.

The line of action of FR passes through the centroid C. Hence

x 9 (1 3) 9 6 m

Fig. 4.15c
Fig. 4.15a

Ch4. Force System Resultants

Ans.

Fig. 4.15b
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Chapter Review

1. Moment of Force Scalar Definition

Magnitude : M O ( F ) F d
Direction :

SI unit : Nm
Principle of Moments:

M O Fd Fx y Fy x

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Chapter Review

2. Moment of Force Vector Definition

MO rA F rB F rC F
Cartesian Vector Formulation

MO r F

rx

ry

rz

Fx

Fy

Fz

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Chapter Review

3. Moment about an Axis

M a Fd a

Scalar Equation

Cartesian Vector Formulation

M a ua MO ua (r F)

uax uay uaz

rx

ry

rz

Fx

Fy

Fz

Ma M aua
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Chapter Review

4. Couple Moment
Couples tend to produce a rotation without translation
Scalar Formulation

Magnitude :
Direction :

M Fd
+

Cartesian Vector Formulation

M r F

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Chapter Review

5. Simplification of a Force and Couple System

FR F

M RO M O M

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Chapter Review

5. Simplification of a Force and Couple System

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Chapter Review

6. Coplanar Distributed Loading

F R dF w ( x ) dx dA A
L

x xw ( x ) dx
L

w ( x ) dx xdA dA
L

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