Chapter Two Force System

Moment of Force

When a force is applied to a body it will produce a tendency for the body to
rotate about a point is not on the line action of the force. This tendency to rotate
is sometimes called a torque, but most often it is called the moment of a force
or simply moment.

The magnitude of the moment is:

M=Fd …(2-8)

Where d is the moment arm or perpendicular distance from the axis at point O
to the line of action of the force.

Units of moment magnitude consist of force times distance, i.e., N.m or lb.ft.

Note 1: If the force F is applied at an angle ≠ 90o, Figure b, then it will be
difficult to turn the bolt since the moment arm d' =d sin will be smaller than d.
Note 2: If F is applied along the wrench, Figure c, its moment arm will be zero
since the line of action of F will intersect point O (the z-axis). As a result, the
moment of F about O is also zero and no turning can occur

The moment Mo about O, or about an axis passing through O and perpendicular

to the plane, is a vector quantity since it has a specified magnitude and
direction.

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Chapter Two Force System

Direction: The direction of Mo is defined by its moment axis, which is

perpendicular to the plane that contain the force F and its
moment arm d. The right-hand rule is used to establish the
sense of direction of Mo. According to this rule, the nature
curl of the fingers of the right-hand, as they are drawn
towards the palm, represent the tendency for rotation caused
by the moment. As the action is performed, the thumb of the
right-hand will give the direction sense of Mo. Notice that
the moment vector is represented in three-directionally by a
curl around an arrow as in Figure b. Since in this case the
moment will tend to cause a counterclockwise rotation, the moment vector is
actually directed out of page.

If the force does not lie in a plane perpendicular to the moment axis, it may be
resolved into two components, one being parallel to the moment axis and the
other lying in a plane perpendicular to the axis. The
component of parallel to the reference axis has no
tendency to rotate the body about the axis and has
no moment with respect to this axis. The moment of
the other component is thus the moment of the force
with respect to the line or axis.

MAB= F2d …(2-9)

Resultant moment: For two-dimensional problems, where all the forces lie in
the x-y plane the resultant (MR)o about point O (the z-axis) can be determined by
finding the algebraic sum of the moments caused by all forces in the system. As
a convention, we will generally consider positive moment as counterclockwise
since they are directed along the positive z-axis (out of page). Clockwise
moment will be negative. Doing this, the directional sense of each moment can
be represented by a plus or minus sign.

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Chapter Two Force System

Using this sign convention, the resultant moment in figure

below is therefore:

+ (MR)o= ∑Fd; (MR)o= F1 d1- F2 d2 + F3 d3

If the numerical result of this sum is positive scalar, (MR)o

will be counterclockwise moment (out of page); if the result
is negative, (MR)o will be clockwise moment (into the page).

Principle Moments of Forces:

When determining the moment of a force about a point, it is often convenient to
use the principle of moments, also known as Varignon’s theorem which
indicates that:
The moment of a force about a point is equal to the sum of the moments of its
components about that point.

Example 15: For each case illustrated in Figures below, determine the moment
of the force about point O.

Solution:

Figure (a) MO = -(100)(2) = -200 =200 N.m

Figure (b) MO = -(50)(0.75) = -37.5 =37.5 N.m

Figure (c) MO =- (40)(4 + 2 cos30o) = -229 =229 lb.ft

Figure (d) MO = (60)(1 sin 45o) = 42.4 lb.ft

Figure (e) MO = (7)(4-1) = 21.0 kN.m

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Chapter Two Force System

Example 16: Determine the resultant moment of the four forces acting on the
rod shown in Figure about O.

Solution: + MRo =  Fd;

MRo = -50(2) + 60(0) + 20(3 sin30o) -40(4 + 3 cos30o)

= -334 N.m

MRo = 334 N.m

Example 17: Determine the moment of the force in figure about O.

Solution I: The moment arm d in Figure (a) can be found

from trigonometry.

d = (3) sin75o = 2.898 m

Thus,

MO = Fd =(5)(2.898) = 14.5 kN.m

Since the force tends to rotate or orbit clockwise about point O, the moment is
directed into the page.

Solution II: The x and y components of the

force are indicated in Figure (b).

+ MO = Fx dy Fy dx

= -(5 cos45o)(3 sin30o)-(5 sin45o)(3 cos30o)

= -14.5 kN.m = 14.5 kN.m

Solution III: The x and y axes can be set parallel and perpendicular to the rod's
axis as shown in Figure (c). Here Fx produces no
moment about point O since its line of action passes
through this point. Therefore,

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Chapter Two Force System

+ MO = Fy dx

= -(5sin75o)(3)

= -14.5 kN.m = 14.5 kN.m

Example 18: Calculate the magnitude of the moment about the base point O of
the 600 N force in four different ways.

Solution I: The moment arm to the 600 N force is

d = 4 cos40o + 2 sin 40o = 4.35 m

By M = Fd the moment is

+ MO = F d = - 600(4.35)

= -2610 N.m = 2610 N.m

Note 1: The minus sign indicates that the vector is in the

negative z-direction.

Solution II: Replace the force by its rectangular components

at A,

F1x= 600 cos40o = 460 N, F1y= 600 sin40o = 386 N

By Varignon's theorem, the moment becomes

+ MO = F1x dy F2y dx

= -460(4) - 386(2)

=-2610 N.m = 2610 N.m

Solution III: By the principle of transmissibility, move the 600-N force along
its line of action to point B, which eliminates the moment component F2y. The
arm of F1x becomes

d1y = 4 +2 tan40o = 5.68 m

and the moment is

+ MO = F1x d1y

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Chapter Two Force System

=-460(5.68)

= -2610 N.m = 2610 N.m

Solution IV: Moving the force to point C eliminates the moment component
F1x. The moment arm of F2x becomes

d2x = 2 +4 cot40o = 6.77 m

and the moment is

+ MO = F2y d2x

=-386(6.77)

=-2610 N.m = 2610 N.m

Note 2: The fact that the points B and C are not on the body proper should not
cause concern, as the mathematical calculation of the moment of a force does
not require that the force be on the body.

Example 19: Determine the moment produced by the force F in Figure (a)
about point O.

Solution: Find the Cartesian components of the force F, then find the moments
of these components about specified axis.

x  x2  x1  4  0  4m
y  y2  y1  12  0  12m
z  z 2  z1  0  12  12m

r  x 2  y 2  z 2  4 2  12 2  ( 12) 2  17.436m
x 4
Fx  F * 2  0.4588 kN
r 17.436
y 12
Fy  F * 2  1.376 kN
r 17.436
z  12
Fz  F * 2  1.376 kN
r 17.436
And the Cartesian moment components

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Chapter Two Force System

M x  Fz d y  Fy d z  (1.376)(0)  (1.376)(12)  16.518 kN .m

M y  Fx d z  Fz d x  (0.4588)(12)  ( 1.376)(0)  5.506 kN .m

M z  Fy d x  Fx d y  (1.376)(0)  (0.4588)(0)  0.000 kN .m

The resultant moment

M RO  M x2  M y2  M z2  (16.518) 2  (4.506) 2  (0) 2  17.412 kN .m

Example 20: Two forces act on the rod shown in Figure (a). Determine the
resultant moment they create about the flange at O. Express the resultant as
Cartesian components.

Solution: Find the Cartesian components of the forces F1 and F1= 74.833 lb
1
F2, and then find the moments of these components about 2 3

specified axis.

r  x 2  y 2  z 2 1.5
2 4
r1  (3) 2  (2) 2  (1) 2  3.742 F2= 94,340 lb
x 3
F1x  1 F1  (74.833)  60 lb
r1 3.742
y 2
F1 y  1 F1  (74.833)  40 lb
r1 3.742
Fz= 20 lb
z 1
F1z  1 F1  (74.833)  20 lb Fx= -60 lb
r1 3.742
Fy= 40 lb
r2  ( 4) 2  ( 2) 2  ( 1.5) 2  4.717
x 4
F2 x  2 F2  (94.340)  80 lb
r2 4.717 Fy= 40 lb
Fx= 80 lb
y 2
F2 y  2 F2  (94.340)  40 lb Fz=-30 lb
r2 4.717 (b) 1
z  1.5
F2 z  2 F2  (94.340)  30 lb
r2 4.717
MRo = 79.103 lb.ft
Calculate moment resultant about Cartesian axis

Mx = (20)(5) + (40)(2) – (30)(5) = 30 lb. ft

My = (30)(4) – (80)(2) = -40 lb. ft

Mx = (60)(5) + (40)(4) – (80)(5) = 60 lb. ft

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M RO  M x2  M y2  M z2  (30) 2  (40) 2  (60) 2  78.103 lb. ft

And its directions:

 30    40 
  cos 1    67.4 ,
o
  cos 1    121 ,
o

 78 . 103   78 . 103 
 60 
  cos 1    39.8
o

 78 . 103 

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Chapter Two Force System

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