Chapter 3C Torque

Torque is a
twist or turn
that tends to
produce
rotation. * * *
Applications
are found in
many common
tools around
the home or
industry where
it is necessary
to turn, tighten
Objectives: After completing
this module, you should be
able
Define to:
and give examples of the terms torque,
moment arm, axis, and line of action of a force.
Draw, label and calculate the moment arms for a
variety of applied forces given an axis of rotation.
Calculate the resultant torque about any axis
given the magnitude and locations of forces on
an extended object.
Optional: Define and apply the vector cross
product to calculate torque.
 Definition of Torque
Torque
Torque is
is defined
defined as
as the
the tendency
tendency
to
to produce
produce aa change
change inin rotational
rotational
motion.
motion.
Examples:
 Torque is Determined by Three
Factors:
The
The magnitude
magnitude of
of the
the applied
applied force.
force.
The
The direction
direction of
of the
the applied
applied force.
force.
The
The location
location of
of the
the applied
applied force.
force.

Magnitude
Locationofofof
Direction force
force
Force
Each
TheThe 40-N
of the
forces force
20-Nthe
nearer
forces
produces
end ofhas
theatwice
different
wrenchthe 20 N
2020
N NN
20
torque
torque
have as
due
greater does
to the
the
torques. 20
40NN
direction
20-N force.
of force. 20 20
N N
 Units for Torque
Torque
Torque is
is proportional
proportional to to the
the
magnitude
magnitude of of FF and
and to
to the
the distance
distance rr
from
from the
the axis.
axis. Thus,
Thus, aa tentative
tentative
formula
formula might
might be: be:
Units: Nm or
== Fr
Fr lbft

= (40 N)(0.60 m)
= 24.0 Nm, cw
6 cm
== 24.0
24.0 Nm,
Nm, cw
cw 40 N
 Direction of Torque
Torque
Torque is
is aa vector
vector quantity
quantity that
that has
has
direction
direction asas well
well as
as magnitude.
magnitude.

Turning the handle of a

screwdriver clockwise
and then
counterclockwise will
advance the screw first
inward and then outward.
 Sign Convention for
Torque
By convention, counterclockwise
torques are positive and clockwise
torques are negative.
Positive torque: ccw
Counter-
clockwise, out of
page
cw
Negative torque:
clockwise, into page
Line of Action of a Force
The
The line
line of
of action
action ofof aa force
force is
is an
an
imaginary
imaginary line
line of
of indefinite
indefinite length
length drawn
drawn
along
along the
the direction
direction ofof the
the force.
force.

F2
F1 Line of F3
action
 The Moment Arm
The
The moment
moment arm arm of of aa force
force is
is the
the
perpendicular
perpendicular distance
distance from
from the
the line
line of
of
action
action of
of aa force
force to
to the
the axis
axis of
of rotation.
rotation.

F1 r

F2 r
F3
r
 Calculating Torque
Read
Read problem
problem and
and draw
draw aa rough
rough figure.
figure.
Extend
Extend line
line of
of action
action of
of the
the force.
force.
Draw
Draw and
and label
label moment
moment arm.
arm.
Calculate
Calculate the
the moment
moment arm
arm ifif necessary.
necessary.
Apply
Apply definition
definition of
of torque:
torque:

== Fr
Fr Torque = force x moment arm
Example 1: An 80-N force acts at the end of
a 12-cm wrench as shown. Find the torque.

Extend line of action, draw, calculate

r.
rr =
= 12
12 cm
cm sin
sin == (80
(80 N)(0.104
N)(0.104 m)
m)
60 00
= 10.4
60 = 10.4 == 8.31
8.31 N
N m
m
cm
cm
Alternate: An 80-N force acts at the end of
a 12-cm wrench as shown. Find the torque.

positive
12 cm

Resolve 80-N force into components as

shown.

Fx=80cos 60=40N Fy =80sin60= 69.3N

Note from figure: rx = 0 and ry = 12 cm
= (69.3 N)(0.12 m) == 8.31
8.31 N
Nmm as
as before
before
 Calculating Resultant
Torque
Read,
Read, draw,
draw, and
and label
label aa rough
rough figure.
figure.
Draw
Draw free-body
free-body diagram
diagram showing
showing all
all
forces,
forces, distances,
distances, and
and axis
axis of
of rotation.
rotation.
Extend
Extend lines
lines of
of action
action for
for each
each force.
force.
Calculate
Calculate moment
moment arms
arms ifif necessary.
necessary.
Calculate
Calculate torques
torques due
due to
to EACH
EACH individual
individual
force
force affixing
affixing proper
proper sign.
sign. CCW
CCW (+)
(+) and
and
CW
CW (-).
(-).
Resultant
Resultant torque
torque is
is sum
sum of
of individual
individual
 Example 2: Find resultant torque
about axis A for the arrangement
shown below:

Find due
Find due to
to 30 N negative 20 N
each
each force.
force. 300
r
300
Consider
Consider 20-N20-N 6m 2m
A 4m
force
force first:
first: 40 N
The torque about A
r = (4 m) sin
is clockwise and
300 = 2.00 m
negative.
= Fr = (20 N)(2 m) 2020 == -40
-40 N
Nmm
= 40 N m, cw
 Example 2 (Cont.): Next we find
torque due to 30-N force about
same axis A.

Find due
Find due to
to 30 N r
negative
20 N

each
each force.
force. 300 300
Consider
Consider 30-N
30-N 6m 2m
A 4m
force
force next.
next. 40 N
The torque about A
r = (8 m) sin
is clockwise and
300 = 4.00 m
negative.
= Fr = (30 N)(4 m) 3030 == -120
-120 N
Nmm
= 120 N m, cw
 Example 2 (Cont.): Finally, we
consider the torque due to the 40-N
force.

Find due
Find due to
to 30 N positive 20 N
each
each force.
force. 300 r 300
Consider
Consider 40-N
40-N 6m 2m
A 4m
force
force next:
next: 40 N

r = (2 m) sin The torque about A

900 = 2.00 m is CCW and positive.
= Fr = (40 N)(2 m) 4040 == +80
= 80 N m, ccw +80 N
Nmm
 Summary
Torque
Torque is
is the
the product
product of
of aa force
force and
and its
its
moment
moment arm arm as
as defined
defined below:
below:
The
The moment
moment arm arm of of aa force
force is
is the
the perpendicular
perpendicular
distance
distance from from the
the line
line ofof action
action ofof aa force
force to
to the
the
axis
axis of of rotation.
rotation.
The
The line
line of
of action
action of of aa force
force is
is an
an imaginary
imaginary lineline
of
of indefinite
indefinite length
length drawn
drawn alongalong the
the direction
direction ofof
the
the force.
force.

Torque
Torque =
= force
force xx moment
moment
== Fr
Fr arm
arm
 Summary: Resultant
Torque
Read,
Read, draw,
draw, and
and label
label aa rough
rough figure.
figure.
Draw
Draw free-body
free-body diagram
diagram showing
showing all
all
forces,
forces, distances,
distances, and
and axis
axis of
of rotation.
rotation.
Extend
Extend lines
lines of
of action
action for
for each
each force.
force.
Calculate
Calculate moment
moment arms
arms ifif necessary.
necessary.
Calculate
Calculate torques
torques due
due to
to EACH
EACH individual
individual
force
force affixing
affixing proper
proper sign.
sign. CCW
CCW (+)
(+) and
and
CW
CW (-).
(-).
Resultant
Resultant torque
torque is
is sum
sum of
of individual
individual