ENGINEERING STATICS

CHAPTER 2: FORCE VECTORS

Scalars and Vectors

A scalar is any positive or negative physical quantity that can be
completely specified by its magnitude. Examples: length, mass and
time.
A vector is any physical quantity that requires both a magnitude and a
direction for its complete description. Examples: force, position and
moment.

Fig. 2.1 (Hibbeler)

Vector Operations
Multiplication/Division by a scalar
Multiplication by a positive scalar increase its magnitude by the value
of the scalar. Multiplication by a negative scalar will also change the
directional sense of the vector.

Figs. 2-2 and 2-3 (Hibbeler)

Vector Operations
Addition of Vectors (Parallelogram law)
The parallelogram law of addition can be used. To add two vectors A
and B:
1. Join the tails of the two vectors at a point. (This makes them
concurrent)
2. From the head of B, draw a line that is parallel to A. Draw another
line from the head of A that is parallel to B. These line intersect at
point P to form the adjacent sides of a parallelogram.
3. The diagonal of this parallelogram, from the tails of the vectors to P,
is the resultant vector R.

Vector Operations
Addition of Vectors (Triangle rule)
The two vectors A and B can also be added using the triangle rule. To
add B to A:
1. Connect the head of A to the tail of B.
2. The resultant R extends from the tail of A to the head of B.
In a similar manner, R can also be obtained by adding A to B.
Vector addition is commutative: R = A + B = B + A

Vector Addition

Vector Addition of Forces

Resultant of two components forces F1 and F2 acting on a pin:

Fig. 2-7 (Hibbeler)

Math Review

Finding the Components of a Force in Two Specific Directions

1. Set up an axes system, u and v, in the two directions of interest.
2. Draw a line from the tip of F parallel to the u-axis until it intersects the vaxis.
3. Draw another line from the tip of F parallel to the v-axis until it intersects
the u-axes.
4. The force components Fu is obtained by joining the tail of F to the line
intersection with the u-axes.
5. The force component Fv is obtained by joining the tail of F to the line
intersection with the v-axis.

Finding the Components of a Force

Addition of More Than Two Forces

FR = (F1 + F2) + F3

Fig. 2-9 (Hibbeler)

Addition of a System of Coplanar Forces

Rectangular Components: The two components of a force that is resolved into two
components along the x and y axes of a Cartesian coordinate system.
Two ways to represent these components: Scalar notation or Cartesian vector notation.

Scalar Notation

F = Fx + Fy
Fx = F cos

Fy = F sin

Scalar Notation (Contd.)

or

or

Cartesian Vector Notation:

Define Unit Vectors i and j, which have dimensionless magnitude of 1. These unit
vectors are used to designate the directions of the x and y axes, respectively.

The Cartesian vector is:

F = Fxi + Fyj

Resultant of a System of Coplanar Forces

Using Cartesian vector notation:
F1 = F1xi + F1yj
F2 = -F2xi + F2yj
F3 = F3xi - F3yj
FR = F1 + F2 + F3
= F1xi + F1yj - F2xi + F2yj + F3xi - F3yj
= (F1x F2x + F3x)i + (F1y + F2y - F3y)j
= (FRx)i + (FRy)j

Resultant of a System of Coplanar Forces

Using scalar notation:

In general, the components of the resultant force of

any number of coplanar forces, can be represented
as the algebraic sum of the x and y components of all
the forces:

(FRx) = Fx
(FRy) = Fy

Resultant of a System of Coplanar Forces

( )2 + ( )2

= tan

( )
( )

THREE-DIMENSIONAL VECTOR ANALYSIS

Coordinate System and Unit Vectors

A right-handed rectangular coordinate system is used. The coordinate
system is right-handed if the thumb of the right hand points in the
direction of the positive z-axis when the right-hand fingers are curled
about this axis from the positive x-axis towards the positive y-axis.
The vectors are first represented in Cartesian vector form. The unit
vectors, i, j, k are used to designate the directions of the x, y, z axes,
respectively.

Components of a Vector, A
Using the parallelogram law twice:

A = A + Az
A = Ax + Ay
Combining the above equations, give:

A = Ax + Ay + Az

Cartesian Vector Representation

A = Axi + Ayj + Azk
Note: Separating the magnitude
and direction of each component
vector, as done above, will
simplify the operations of vector
algebra, particularly in three
dimensions.

Magnitude of a Cartesian Vector

=

2 + 2

2 + 2

Combining the above equations, give:

=

2 + 2 + 2

Note: The magnitude of A is equal to

the positive square root of the sum of
the squares of its components.

Direction of a Cartesian Vector

Define the direction of A by the

coordinate direction angle , , and
measured between the tail of A and
the positive x, y and z axes, provided
they are located at the tail of A.

Direction Cosines of A

Considering the projection of A unto the x, y, z axes, give:

cos =

cos =

cos =

These numbers are called the direction cosines of A.

Easy way to obtain the direction cosines:

1. Define a unit vector uA in the direction of A.

2. Since A = Axi + Ayj + Azk, then uA will have a
magnitude of one and be dimensionless if A is
divided by its magnitude.

3. The above i, j, k components of uA are the

direction cosines of A, hence:

4. Since the magnitude of a vector is equal to the positive square root

of the squares of the magnitude of its component, and uA has a
magnitude of one, then:

5. If the magnitude and coordinate angles of A are known, then A may

be expressed in Cartesian vector form as:

Addition of Two or More Cartesian Vectors

In general:

POSITION VECTORS

Position Vectors
Important in formulating Cartesian force
vector directed between two points in
space.
Right-handed coordinate system is used,
with the z axis directed upwards (the
zenith direction).
Points in space are located relative to the
origins of coordinates, O, by successive
measurements along the x, y, z axes.
Example, position of B is (6 m, -1 m, 4 m).

Position Vectors
A position vector r is a fixed vector which locates a point in space relative to
another point.

If r extends from the origins, O, to point P(x, y, z) then r can be given in

Cartesian vector form as:
r = xi + yj + zk

Position Vectors
In general, r can be directed from a point A
(xA, yA, zA) to a point B(xB, yB, zB). If rA and rB
are the position vectors of points A and B,
respectively, from the origin of coordinates,
then:

Position Vectors

Force Vector Directed Along a Line

In three-dimensional static problems, the direction
of a force F is often specified by two points, (say, A
and B), through which its line of action passes (see
Fig.).

Note that F has the same direction and sense as

the position vector r directed from point A to point
B. The common vector is specified by the unit
vector, u = r/r. Hence, we can formulate F as a
Cartesian vector, as follows:

Dot Product of Two Vectors

Dot Product
The dot product between two vectors can be used to find the angle
between two line or the components of a force parallel to or perpendicular
to a line.
The dot product of two vectors A and B, is
written as AB, read as A dot B, and defined as:
AB = AB cos
The dot product is also referred to as the scalar
product since the results is a scalar quantity.
0 180

Dot Product: Laws of Operations

Dot Product of Any Two Cartesian Unit Vectors

i i = (1)(1) cos 0 = 1
i j = (1)(1) cos 90 = 0
Etc.

Cartesian Vector Formulation of Dot Product

The dot product of two general vectors A and B in Cartesian vector
form is:

This reduces to:

So, to determine the dot product of two Cartesian vectors, multiply their
corresponding x, y, z components and sum these products algebraically.

Applications of Dot Product

1. To find the angle between the tails of two vectors or intersecting
lines:
= cos

+ +

1
= cos

0 180

Note that if A B = 0, then = 90 so that A is perpendicular to B.

(Since then, = cos-1 0 = 90)

Applications of Dot Product

2. To find the components of a vector parallel and perpendicular to a
line:
The scalar projection of A along a line aa
is determined from the product of A and
the unit vector ua which defines the
direction of the line.
The component of A that is perpendicular to the line aa is given by: