University of Eastern Philippines

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Civil Engineering Department
University Town, Northern Samar

STATICS OF RIGID BODIES

Prepared by:

LORNA VICTORIA B. RAMIS, CE

Professor

1. OVERVIEW OF THE MODULE

 To provide you, the student with a clear and thorough presentation of the theory and
application of statics of rigid bodies, it is important to know the fundamental first. In this
module we will discuss the fundamental concepts of the forces and their characteristics, the
effect of a force or a force system on the body acted upon which can be both external or
internal, force systems which can be a set of two or more coplanar or spatial forces,
components of a force, moment of a force, and vector analysis.

After learning the fundamental concepts, resultant of force systems follows. We will
be discussing the resultants of the different force systems.

1.1 Purpose of the Module

The purpose or objectives of this module is for you, my dear students, to learn to
do the following:

 How to add forces and resolve them into components using the parallelogram
law.
 How to express force and position in the Cartesian vector form and how to
determine the vector’s magnitude and direction.
 To introduce the dot product in order to determine the angle between two
vectors or the projection of one vector onto another.
 To determine resultants of the force systems in the coplanar systems and the
spatial force systems.

1.2 Module Title and Description

MODULE NO.1 - FUNDAMENTALS CONCEPTS and RESULTANTS OF

FORCE SYSTEMS

1.3 Module Guide

This module is an introduction to this course and so, you should take note of
the following:

 A review of your physics, algebra and trigonometry will help greatly you in
understanding the topic at hand.
 Read the learning outcomes of this module for you determine the focus of our
topic.
 The illustrative problems discuss the technique of solution as well as the
application of principles.
 Solve the exercises that are provided for you after every subtopic.
 Studying the example problems helps, but the most effective way of learning
the principles of the topic is to solve problems.
 To be successful at this, it is important to always present the work in a logical
and orderly manner, as suggested by the following sequence of steps:
o Read the problem carefully and try to correlate the actual physical
situation with the theory studied.
o Tabulate the problem data and draw to a large scale any necessary
diagrams.
o Apply the relevant principles, generally in mathematical form. When
writing any equations, be sure they are dimensionally homogeneous.
o Solve the necessary equations, and report the answer with no more
than three significant figures.
o Study the answer with technical judgment and common sense to
determine whether or not it seems reasonable.

1.4 Module Outcomes

 After studying this module, you must be able to:
 Add forces and resolve them into components using the parallelogram law.
 Express force and position in the Cartesian vector form and how to determine
the vector’s magnitude and direction.
 Have thorough knowledge of the dot product and be able to determine the
angle between two vectors or the projection of one vector onto another.
 Determine resultants of the force systems in the coplanar systems and the
spatial force systems.

1.5 Module Requirements

 Solve the exercises and write them in a short bond paper with 1” x 1”
borderline for uniformity. Scan it or take a picture, then send it to my email
address. If you are going to submit it via the university link, have it stapled at
the upper left-hand corner of the bond paper. Please do not use folder,
however you can place it inside an envelope to avoid from getting lost during
its transportation.
 Erasures are not allowed. No points will be given if there are erasures.

2. KEY TERMS

Before we proceed with our topic, let us first define some important terms so that you will
better understand the lesson well.

Statics is a branch of mechanics which studies the effects and distribution of forces of
rigid bodies which are and remain at rest. In this area of mechanics, the body in which
forces are acting is assumed to be rigid. The deformation of non-rigid bodies is treated
in Strength of Materials.

Length is used to locate the position of a point in space and thereby describe the size of
a physical system. Once a standard unit of length is defined, one can then use it to define
distances and geometric properties of a body as multiples of this unit.

Force is considered as a “push” or “pull” exerted by one body on another. This interaction
can occur when there is direct contact between the bodies, such as a person pushing on
a wall, or it can occur through a distance when the bodies are physically separated.

Particle has a mass, but a size that can be neglected. For example, the size of the earth
is insignificant compared to the size of its orbit, and therefore the earth can be modeled
as a particle when studying its orbital motion. When a body is idealized as a particle, the
principles of mechanics reduce to a rather simplified form since the geometry of the body
will not be involved in the analysis of the problem.

Rigid body can be considered as a combination of a large number of particles in which

all the particles remain at a fixed distance from one another, both before and after
applying a load. This model is important because the body’s shape does not change
when a load is applied, and so we do not have to consider the type of material from which
the body is made. In most cases the actual deformations occurring in structures,
machines, mechanisms, and the like are relatively small, and the rigid-body assumption
is suitable for analysis.

Scalar is any positive or negative physical quantity that can be completely specified by its
magnitude. Examples of scalar quantities include length, mass, and time.

Vector is any physical quantity that requires both a magnitude and a direction for its
complete description. Examples of vectors encountered in statics are force, position, and
moment. A vector is shown graphically by an arrow. The length of the arrow represents
the magnitude of the vector, and the angle Ø between the vector and a fixed axis defines
the direction of its line of action. The head or tip of the arrow indicates the sense of
direction of the vector, as shown below
 In the figure, a vector is shown graphically by an arrow. The length of the arrow
represents the magnitude of the vector, and the angle Ø with a value of 20° between the
vector and a fixed axis defines the direction of its line of action. The head or tip of the
arrow indicates the sense of direction of the vector.

3. LEARNING PLAN

3.1 Activating Student’s Schemata

Our study of Statics of Rigid Bodies will make use of your knowledge in Algebra,
Trigonometry, and Physics. In Algebra for example, you should review the power formula
and the quadratic equation. In trigonometry, it would be advantageous for you to recall the
Trigonometric Functions and Pythagorean Theorem. In Physics, a review with Vectors will be
useful.
Most useful however is to recall the Cartesian Coordinates System. The Cartesian
coordinates (also called rectangular coordinates) of a point are a pair of numbers (in two-
dimensions) or a triplet of numbers (in three-dimensions) that specified signed distances
from the coordinate axis. It can provide a method of rendering graphs and indicating the
positions of points on a two-dimensional (2D) surface or in three-dimensional (3D) space.
The axes of a two-dimensional Cartesian system divide the plane into four infinite regions,
called quadrants, each bounded by two half-axes. These are often numbered from 1st to 4th and
denoted by Roman numerals: I (where the signs of the (x; y) coordinates are I (+; +), II (−; +), III
(−; −), and IV (+; −).

The four quadrants of a Cartesian coordinate system

Cartesian three-space, also called xyz -space, has a third axis, oriented at right angles to
the xy plane. This axis, usually called the z axis, passes through the origin of the xy -plane.
Positions or coordinates are determined according to the east/west ( x ), north/south ( y ),
and up/down (z) displacements from the origin.
A representation of a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system with the x-axis pointing
towards the observer.

3.2 Learning Objectives

3.2.1 Fundamental Concepts

Before we begin our study of engineering mechanics, it is important to

understand certain fundamental concepts and principles.

Basic Quantities. The following four quantities are used throughout mechanics.

Length. Length is used to locate the position of a point in space and thereby
describe the size of a physical system. Once a standard unit of length is defined, one
can then use it to define distances and geometric properties of a body as multiples of
this unit.
Time. Time is conceived as a succession of events. Although the principles of
statics are time independent, this quantity plays an important role in the study of
dynamics.
Mass. Mass is a measure of a quantity of matter that is used to compare the
action of one body with that of another. This property manifests itself as a
gravitational attraction between two bodies and provides a measure of the resistance
of matter to a change in velocity.
Force. In general, force is considered as a “push” or “pull” exerted by one
body on another. This interaction can occur when there is direct contact between the
bodies, such as a person pushing on a wall, or it can occur through a distance when
the bodies are physically separated. Examples of the latter type include gravitational,
electrical, and magnetic forces. In any case, a force is completely characterized by its
magnitude, direction, and point of application.

Idealizations. Models or idealizations are used in mechanics in order to simplify

application of the theory. Here we will consider three important idealizations.

Particle. A particle has a mass, but a

size that can be neglected. For example, the
size of the earth is insignificant compared to
the size of its orbit, and therefore the earth can
be modeled as a particle when studying its
orbital motion. When a body is idealized as a
particle, the principles of mechanics reduce to
a rather simplified form since the geometry of
the body will not be involved in the analysis of
the problem.
 Rigid Body. A rigid body can be considered as a combination of a large
number of particles in which all the particles remain at a fixed distance from one
another, both before and after applying a load. This model is important because the
body’s shape does not change when a load is applied, and so we do not have to
consider the type of material from which the body is made. In most cases the actual
deformations occurring in structures, machines, mechanisms, and the like are
relatively small, and the rigid-body assumption is suitable for analysis.

Concentrated Force. A concentrated force represents the effect of a loading

which is assumed to act at a point on a body. We can represent a load by a
concentrated force, provided the area over which the load is applied is very small
compared to the overall size of the body. An example would be the contact force
between a wheel and the ground.

Newton’s Three Laws of Motion. Engineering mechanics is formulated on the basis

of Newton’s three laws of motion, the validity of which is based on experimental
observation. These laws apply to the motion of a particle as measured from a
nonaccelerating reference frame. They may be briefly stated as follows.

First Law. A particle originally at rest, or moving in a straight line with

constant velocity, tends to remain in this state provided the particle is not subjected to
an unbalanced force, Fig. 1–1a.

Second Law. A particle acted upon by an unbalanced force F experiences an

acceleration a that has the same direction as the force and a magnitude that is
directly proportional to the force, Fig. 1–1b.* If F is applied to a particle of mass m,
this law may be expressed mathematically as
 Third Law. The mutual forces of action and reaction between two particles
are equal, opposite, and collinear, Fig. 1–1c.

Fig. 1-1c
*Stated another way, the unbalanced force acting on the particle is proportional to the
time rate of change of the particle’s linear momentum.

Units of Measurements

The four basic quantities—length, time, mass, and force—are not all
independent from one another; in fact, they are related by Newton’s second law of
motion, F = ma. Because of this, the units used to measure these quantities cannot
all be selected arbitrarily. The equality F = ma is maintained only if three of the four
units, called base units, are defined and the fourth unit is then derived from the
equation.

SI Units. The International System of units, abbreviated SI after the French

“Système International d’Unités,” is a modern version of the metric system which has
received worldwide recognition. As shown in Table 1–1, the SI system defines length
in meters (m), time in seconds (s), and mass in kilograms (kg). The unit of force,
called a newton (N), is derived from F = ma. Thus, 1 newton is equal to a force
required to give 1 kilogram of mass an acceleration of 1 m/s2 (N = kg•m/s2). If the
weight of a body located at the “standard location” is to be determined in newtons,
then Eq. 1–3 must be applied. Here measurements give g = 9.806 65 m/s 2; however,
for calculations, the value g = 9.81 m/s2 will be used. Thus

Therefore, a body of mass 1 kg has a weight of 9.81 N, a 2-kg body weighs 19.62 N,
and so on, Fig. 1–2a.

Fig. 1-2

U.S. Customary. In the U.S. Customary system of units (FPS) length is

measured in feet (ft), time in seconds (s), and force in pounds (lb), Table 1–1. The
unit of mass, called a slug, is derived from F = ma. Hence, 1 slug is equal to the
amount of matter accelerated at 1 ft/s2 when acted upon by a force of 1 lb (slug =
lb•s2/ft).
 Therefore, if the measurements are made at the “standard location,” where g
= 32.2 ft/s2, then from Eq. 1–3,

Fig. 1-2

Conversion of Units. Table 1–2 provides a set of direct conversion factors between
FPS and SI units for the basic quantities. Also, in the FPS system, recall that 1 ft = 12
in. (inches), 5280 ft = 1 mi (mile), 1000 lb = 1 kip (kilo-pound), and 2000 lb = 1 ton.

3.2.2 Composition and Resolution of Forces

The force is an important factor in the field of Mechanics, which may be

broadly *defined as an agent which produces or tends to produce, destroys or tends
to destroy motion. e.g., a horse applies force to pull a cart and to set it in motion.
Force is also required to work on a bicycle pump. In this case, the force is supplied by
the muscular power of our arms and shoulders.

3.2.2.1 Internal and External Effects of a Force

A force may produce the following effects in a body, on which it acts:

1. It may change the motion of a body. i.e. if a body is at rest, the force may
set it in motion. And if the body is already in motion, the force may
accelerate it.
2. It may retard the motion of a body.
 3. It may retard the forces, already acting on a body, thus bringing it to rest or
in equilibrium. We shall study this effect in chapter 5 of this book.

4. It may give rise to the internal stresses in the body, on which it acts. We
shall study this effect in the chapters ‘Analysis of Perfect Frames’ of this
book.

3.2.2.2 Characteristics of A Force

In order to determine the effects of a force, acting on a body, we must

know the following characteristics of a force:

1. Magnitude of the force (i.e., 100 N, 50 N, 20 kN, 5 kN, etc.)

2. The direction of the line, along which the force acts (i.e., along OX, OY, at
30° North of East etc.). It is also known as line of action of the force.

3. Nature of the force (i.e., whether the force is push or pull). This is denoted
by placing an arrow head on the line of action of the force.

4. The point at which (or through which) the force acts on the body.

Note: A rigid body may be defined as a body which can retain its shape and size, even if subjected to
some external forces. In actual practice, no body is perfectly rigid. But for the sake of simplicity, we
take all the bodies as rigid bodies.

3.3 Force Systems

A set of two or more coplanar or special forces, that may or may not be in equilibrium.
Whether the forces are coplanar or spatial, there are basically three force systems in each
category and are characterized by the position and direction of the forces in the system.

Concurrent
Coplanar Parallel
Force Systems Non-concurrent, nonprallel
Concurrent
Spatial Parallel
Non-concurrent, nonprallel

Coplanar and Concurrent:

Coplanar and Parallel:

Coplanar and Non-concurrent:

Spatial and Concurrent:

Spatial and parallel:

Spatial and non-concurrent:

3.3.1 Fundamental Axioms of Mechanics

1. The Parallelogram Law: The resultant of two forces is the diagonal of the
parallelogram formed on the vectors of these forces.
2. Two forces are in equilibrium only when equal in magnitude, opposite in direction,
and collinear in action.
3. A set of forces in equilibrium may be added to any system of forces without
changing the effect of the original system.
4. Action and reaction forces are equal but oppositely directed.

3.3.2 Introduction to Free-Body Diagram

A sketch of the isolated body which shows only the forces acting upon the body is
called free-body diagram. The forces acting on the free body are the action forces
also called the applied forces.

Example:

Equilibrium of 2D rigid body example

 FBD of 2D equilibrium of rigid body

3.4 Scalar and Vector Quantities

Scalars. Imagine two groups of marbles, one consisting of 10 marbles and the other of
5. If a common group is formed by mixing them, the resultant number will be 15 marbles,
a result obtained by arithmetical addition. Quantities which possess magnitude only and
can be added arithmetically are defined as scalar quantities.

Vectors. A vector of a quantity can be represented geometrically by drawing a line

acting in the direction of the quantity, the length of the line representing to some scale the
magnitude of the quantity.

3.4.1 Vector Addition of Forces

Experimental evidence has shown that a force is a vector quantity since it

has a specified magnitude, direction, and sense and it adds according to the
parallelogram law. Two common problems in statics involve either finding the
resultant force, knowing its components, or resolving a known force into two
components. We will now describe how each of these problems is solved using
the parallelogram law.

Finding a Resultant Force. The two component forces F1 and F2 acting on the
pin in Fig. 2–7a can be added together to form the resultant force F R = F1 + F2,
as shown in Fig. 2–7b. From this construction, or using the triangle rule, Fig. 2–
7c, we can apply the law of cosines or the law of sines to the triangle in order to
obtain the magnitude of the resultant force and its direction.

Finding the Components of a Force. Sometimes it is necessary to resolve a

force into two components in order to study its pulling or pushing effect in two
specific directions. For example, in Fig. 2–8a, F is to be resolved into two
components along the two members, defined by the u and v axes. In order to
determine the magnitude of each component, a parallelogram is constructed
first, by drawing lines starting from the tip of F, one-line parallel to u, and the
other line parallel to v. These lines then intersect with the v and u axes, forming
a parallelogram. The force components Fu and Fv are then established by
simply joining the tail of F to the intersection points on the u and v axes, Fig. 2–
8b. This parallelogram can then be reduced to a triangle, which represents the
triangle rule, Fig. 2–8c. From this, the law of sines can then be applied to
determine the unknown magnitudes of the components.
 Addition of Several Forces. If more than two forces are to be added,
successive applications of the parallelogram law can be carried out in order to
obtain the resultant force. For example, if three forces F 1, F2, F3 act at a point O,
Fig. 2–9, the resultant of any two of the forces is found, say, F1 + F2—and then
this resultant is added to the third force, yielding the resultant of all three forces;
i.e., FR = (F1 + F2) + F3. Using the parallelogram law to add more than two
forces, as shown here, often requires extensive geometric and trigonometric
calculation to determine the numerical values for the magnitude and direction of
the resultant. Instead, problems of this type are easily solved by using the
“rectangular component method,” which is explained in the next topic.

3.4.2 SAMPLE PROBLEMS:

1. The screw eye in Fig. as shown is subjected to two forces, F1 and F2. Determine the
magnitude and direction of the resultant force

SOLUTION:

By using the Parallelogram Law, the parallelogram is formed by drawing a line from
the head of F1 that is parallel to F2, and another line from the head of F 2 that is parallel
to F1. The resultant force FR extends to where these lines intersect at point A, see figure
below. The two unknowns are the magnitude of FR and the angle θ(theta).
From the parallelogram, the vector triangle is constructed, as shown. Using the law of
cosines

Thus, the direction ϕ (phi) of FR, measured from the horizontal is

NOTE: The results seem reasonable, since Fig. 2 shows F R to have a magnitude larger than its
components and a direction that is between them.

2. Resolve the horizontal 600-lb force in figure shown into components acting along
the u and v axes and determine the magnitudes of these components.
SOLUTION:

The parallelogram is constructed by extending a line from the head of the 600-lb force
parallel to the v axis until it intersects the u axis at point B, see figure. The arrow from A
to B represents Fu. Similarly, the line extended from the head of the 600-lb force drawn
parallel to the u axis intersects the v axis at point C, which gives Fv.

The vector addition using the triangle rule is shown in the figure below. The two
unknowns are the magnitudes of Fu and Fv. Applying the law of sines,

NOTE: The result for Fu shows that sometimes a component can have a greater magnitude than
the resultant.

3. Resolve the horizontal 600-lb force in figure shown into components acting along
the u and v axes and determine the magnitudes of these components.
 SOLUTION:

The parallelogram law of addition is shown in Fig. 1 below, and the triangle rule is
shown in Fig. 2 below.

Fig. 2
Fig. 1

The magnitudes of FR and F are the two unknowns. They can be determined by
applying the law of sines.

4. It is required that the resultant force acting on the

eyebolt in figure shown be directed along the
positive x axis and that F2 have a minimum
magnitude. Determine this magnitude, the angle
θ, and the corresponding resultant force.
 SOLUTION:

(a)

(b)

The triangle rule for FR = F1 + F2 is shown in Fig. (a). Since the magnitudes
(lengths) of FR and F2 are not specified, then F2 can actually be any vector that
has its head touching the line of action of F R, Fig. (b). However, as shown, the
magnitude of F2 is a minimum or the shortest length when its line of action is
perpendicular to the line of action of FR, that is, when

Since the vector addition now forms the shaded right triangle, the two unknown
magnitudes can be obtained by trigonometry.

Note: It is strongly suggested that you test yourself on the solutions to these examples, by covering
them over and then trying to draw the parallelogram law, and thinking about how the sine and cosine
laws are used to determine the unknowns.

3.4.3 EXERCISES: (ACTIVITY 1)

1. Determine the magnitude of the resultant force acting on the screw eye and its
direction measured clockwise from the x axis.
2. Resolve the 30-lb force into components along the u and v axes, and determine the
magnitude of each of these components.

3. Two forces act on the hook. Determine the magnitude of the resultant force.

4. If force F is to have a component along the u axis of Fu = 6 kN, determine the

magnitude of F and the magnitude of its component Fv along the v axis.

5. If the magnitude of the resultant force is to be 500 N, directed along the positive y
axis, determine the magnitude of force F and its direction u.
6. Resolve the force F1 into components acting along the u and v axes and determine
the magnitudes of the components

7. Resolve the force F2 into components acting along the u and v axes and determine
the magnitudes of the components.

(Prob. 6 & 7)

8. If the resultant force acting on the support is to be 1200 lb, directed horizontally to
the right, determine the force F in rope A and the corresponding angle θ.

9. Determine the magnitude and direction of the resultant FR = F1 + F2 + F3 of the three

forces by first finding the resultant F’ = F1 + F2 and then forming FR = F’ + F3.

10. If the resultant force of the two tugboats is required to be directed towards the
positive x axis, and FB is to be a minimum, determine the magnitude of F R and FB
and the angle θ.
3.5 Dot Product

Occasionally in statics one has to find the angle between two lines or the components
of a force parallel and perpendicular to a line. In two dimensions, these problems can readily
be solved by trigonometry since the geometry is easy to visualize. In three dimensions,
however, this is often difficult, and consequently vector methods should be employed for the
solution.

The dot product of vectors A and B, written A • B and read “A dot B,” is defined as
the product of the magnitudes of A and B and the cosine of the angle u between their tails,
Figure 2-40. Expressed in equation form,

Fig. (2-40) (2-12)

where 0°≤ θ ≤ 180°. The dot product is often referred to as the scalar product of vectors
since the result is a scalar and not a vector.

Laws of Operation.
1. Commutative law: A • B = B • A
2. Multiplication by a scalar: a (A • B) = (aA) • B = A • (aB)
3. Distributive law: A • (B + D) = (A • B) + (A • D)

Cartesian Vector Formulation. Equation 2–12 must be used to find the dot product for any
two Cartesian unit vectors. For example, i • i = (1)(1) cos 0° = 1 and i • j = (1)(1) cos 90° = 0.
If we want to find the dot product of two general vectors A and B that are expressed in
Cartesian vector form, then we have

Carrying out the dot-product operations, the final result becomes

(2-13)

Thus, to determine the dot product of two Cartesian vectors, multiply their corresponding x, y,
z components and sum these products algebraically. Note that the result will be either a
positive or negative scalar, or it could be zero.

Applications. The dot product has two important applications in mechanics.

 The angle formed between two vectors or intersecting lines. The angle θ between the
tails of vectors A and B in Fig. 2–40 can be determined from Eq. 2–12 and written as

Here A • B is found from Eq. 2–13. In particular, notice that if A • B = 0, θ = cos-1 0 = 90°
so that A will be perpendicular to B.

 The components of a vector parallel and perpendicular to a line. The component of

vector A parallel to or collinear with the line aa in Fig. 2–40 is defined by Aa where Aa =
A cos θ. This component is sometimes referred to as the projection of A onto the line,
since a right angle is formed in the construction. If the direction of the line is specified by
the unit vector ua, then since ua = 1, we can determine the magnitude of Aa directly from
the dot product (Eq. 2–12); i.e.,

Hence, the scalar projection of A along a line is determined from the dot product of A and
the unit vector ua which defines the direction of the line. Notice that if this result is
positive, then Aa has a directional sense which is the same as ua, whereas if Aa is a
negative scalar, then Aa has the opposite sense of direction to ua.
The component Aa represented as a vector is therefore

The component of A that is perpendicular to line aa can also be obtained, Fig. 2-41.
Since There are two possible ways of obtaining
One way would be to determine θ from the dot product, then
Alternatively, if A is known, then by Pythagorean’s theorem we can also
write

3.5.1 SAMPLE PROBLEMS:

1. Determine the magnitudes of the projection of the force F in Fig. 2–42 onto the u and v
axes.
 Solution:

Projections of Force. The graphical representation of the projections is shown in

Fig. 2–42. From this figure, the magnitudes of the projections of F onto the u and v
axes can be obtained by trigonometry:
(Fu)proj = (100 N) cos 45° = 70.7 N
(Fv)proj = (100 N) cos 15° = 96.6 N

NOTE: These projections are not equal to the magnitudes of the components of force
F along the u and v axes found from the parallelogram law. They will only be equal if
the u and v axes are perpendicular to one another.

2. The frame shown in Fig. 2–43a is subjected to a horizontal force F = {300j} N.

Determine the magnitudes of the components of this force parallel and
perpendicular to member AB.
3.5.2 EXERCISES (ACTIVITY 2)

1. Find the magnitude of the projected component of the force along the pipe AO.

2. Determine the angle θ between the force and the line AB

3. Express the force F in Cartesian vector form if it acts at the midpoint B of the rod.

4. Determine the magnitude of the projection of the force F1 along cable AC.
 5. Determine the magnitude of the projected component of the force F = {400i - 200j +
500k} N acting along the cable CA.

3.6 Assigned Readings:

Read your reference books in Engineering Mechanics, Chapter 1 and 2. Solve

more similar problems from the exercises given above.

3.7 Assessment

Your exercises will serve as your assessment for this module. I will be giving
you an examination after Module No.2.

3.8 Feedback

You have recalled your previous lessons in your algebra, trigonometry and
physics. You have also acquired new knowledge from the discussion given and was
able to solve problems on your own. I know that solving problems are not your
favorite task since you would rather play Mobile Legend than do your activities. But
with the current situation that we are facing, you should solve more problems
because it will give you the needed skills and understanding of the techniques in
solving problems related to the topic being discussed. The topics in this subject are
linked to each that is why you should study and learn every topic so that there will be
no missing link.

3.9 Summary

This module can be summarized as follows:

 Statics is the study of bodies that are at rest or move with constant velocity.
 A particle has a mass but a size that can be neglected, and a rigid body does
not deform under load.
 A force is considered as a “push” or “pull” of one body on another.
 Concentrated forces are assumed to act at a point on a body.
 Newton’s three laws of motion should be memorized.
  A scalar is a positive or negative number.
 A vector is a quantity that has a magnitude, direction, and sense.
 Multiplication or division of a vector by a scalar will change the magnitude of
the vector. The sense of the vector will change if the scalar is negative.
 As a special case, if the vectors are collinear, the resultant is formed by an
algebraic or scalar addition.
 The dot product is used to determine the angle between two vectors or the
projection of a vector in a specified direction.
 If vectors A and B are expressed in Cartesian vector form, the dot product is
determined by multiplying the respective x, y, z scalar components and
algebraically adding the results, i.e.,
A•B = AxBx + AyBy + AzBz
 From the definition of the dot product, the angle formed between the tails of
vectors A and B is θ = cos-1 (A • B/AB).
 The magnitude of the projection of vector A along a line aa whose direction is
specified by ua is determined from the dot product Aa = A • ua.

4. Suggested Readings:

You can also try to access the internet, aside from your reference books. You
can access mathalino.com. You can watch you tube, just search for our topic and you
will see videos of professors discussing about this topics that we have undertaken in
this module.

5. References:
 Hibbeler, R.C., Engineering Mechanics, Statics, 14th Edition, 2016
 Khurmi, R.S., A Textbook of Engineering Mechanics
 Singer, Ferdinand L., Engineering Mechanics, Statics and Dynamics, 3rd Edition