Emech Module 4

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Republic of the Philippines

ISABELA STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, ARCHITECTURE AND TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
City of Ilagan Campus
ENGINEERING MECHANICS (EE 212)
MOMENT AND COUPLE OF FORCES
Introduction
Mechanics is the study of forces that act on bodies and the resultant motion that those
bodies experience. With roots in physics and mathematics, Engineering Mechanics is the basis of
all the mechanical sciences: civil engineering, materials science and engineering, mechanical
engineering and aeronautical and aerospace engineering. Engineering Mechanics provides the
“building blocks” of statics, dynamics, strength of materials, and fluid dynamics. Engineering
mechanics is the discipline devoted to the solution of mechanics problems through the integrated
application of mathematical, scientific, and engineering principles. Special emphasis is placed on
the physical principles underlying modern engineering design.
Engineering mechanics is the application of mechanics to solve problems involving

common engineering elements. The goal of this Engineering Mechanics course is to expose
students to problems in mechanics as applied to plausibly real-world scenarios. Problems of
particular types are explored in detail in the hopes that students will gain an inductive
understanding of the underlying principles at work; students should then be able to recognize
problems of this sort in real-world situations and respond accordingly.
Further, this text aims to support the learning of Engineering Mechanics with theoretical
material, general key techniques, and a sufficient number of solved sample problems to satisfy
the first objective as outlined above.
\DEFINITIONS
Moment of a Force
Moment is the measure of the capacity or ability of the force to produce twisting or turning effect
about an axis. This axis is perpendicular to the plane containing the line of action of the force.
The magnitude of moment is equal to the product of the force and the perpendicular distance
from the axis to the line of action of the force. The intersection of the plane and the axis is
commonly called the moment center, and the perpendicular distance from the moment center to
the line of action of the force is called moment arm.
From the figure above, O is the moment center and d is the moment arm. The moment M of
force F about point O is equal to the product of F and d.
M=Fd
EXAMPLES
1) In
Fig. P-226 assuming counterclockwise moments as positive, compute the moment of force F
= 200 kg and force P = 165 kg about points A, B, C, and D.
SOLUTION:
2) Two forces P and Q pass through a point A which is 4 m to the right of and 3 m above a
moment center O. Force P is 890 N directed up to the right at 30° with the horizontal and force Q
is 445 N directed up to the left at 60° with the horizontal. Determine the moment of the resultant
of these two forces with respect to O.
SOLUTION:
Couples
Couple is a system of forces whose magnitude of the resultant is zero and yet has a moment sum.
Geometrically, couple is composed of two equal forces that are parallel to each other and acting
in opposite direction. The magnitude of the couple is given by
C=Fd
Where FF are the two forces and dd is the moment arm, or the perpendicular distance between
the forces.
Couple is independent of the moment center, thus, the effect is unchanged in the following
conditions.
 The couple is rotated through any angle in its plane.

 The couple is shifted to any other position in its plane.
 The couple is shifted to a parallel plane.
In a case where a system is composed entirely of couples in the same plane or parallel planes, the
resultant is a couple whose magnitude is the algebraic sum of the original couples.
EXAMPLES
1) Refer to Fig. 2-24a. A couple consists of two vertical forces of 60 lb each. One force acts up
through A and the other acts down through D. Transform the couple into an equivalent couple
having horizontal forces acting through E and F.
SOLUTION:
2) Determine the resultant moment about point A of the system of forces shown in Fig. P-246.
Each square is 1 ft on a side.
SOLUTION:
3) The three-step pulley shown in Fig. P-247 is subjected to the given couples. Compute the
value of the resultant couple. Also determine the forces acting at the rim of the middle pulley that
are required to balance the given system.
SOLUTION:
Prepared by:
ENGR. JEAN CLAUDE M. BENITEZ, RME, ME-EE

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Republic of the Philippines

ENGINEERING MECHANICS (EE 212)

MOMENT AND COUPLE OF FORCES

Engineering mechanics is the application of mechanics to solve problems involving

 The couple is rotated through any angle in its plane.

ENGR. JEAN CLAUDE M. BENITEZ, RME, ME-EE

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