ME 201

Engineering Mechanics: Statics

Chapter 4 Part B
4.5 Moment of a Force about a Specified Axis
4.6 Moment of a Couple

Moment of a Force about a

Specified Axis
A moment and its axis are always
perpendicular to the plane defined by the
force and its moment arm
Sometimes necessary to find a component of
this moment along a specified axis
This is sometimes referred to as projection
The dot product can be used to find this
component

Moment of a Force about a

Specified Axis
Remember
MO = r x F
r is vector from O to line of action of
F

And
defining a unit vector UA
and perform a dot product
operation
MA = UA (r x F)
MA = MA Ua

rxF rx

ry

rz

Fx

Fy

Fz

U Ax U Ay U Az
M A rx
ry
rz
Fx

Fy

Fz

Example Problem
Given:
F = 700 N
Find
MAB

z
C

.3m .6m A
.4m

.2m

Example Problem
Solution
Given:
F = 700 N
Find:
MAB
Solution:

M AB M AB U AB
M AB M A U AB
M A rAD FCD

.3m .6m A
.4m

x
rAD .2 j m
FCD 700

.2m

.6i .2 j .3k
(.6) 2 .2 2 (.3) 2

600i 200 j 300k N

M A 0 .2 0 600 200 300
60i 120k N

rAB .4i .2 j m U AB .8944i .4472 j m

M AB 60 0 120 .8944 .4472 0
53.7 Nm

M AB (53.7) .8944 .4472 0

48.0i 24.0 j Nm

Moment of a Couple
Couple 2 parallel forces that have the same
magnitude, opposite directions, and are
separated by a distance
The moment produced by a couple is
equivalent to the sum of the moments of both
couple forces computed about any arbitrary
point in space

Moment of a Couple
Class Exercise
Compute the Moments for the problem below:
F=
MA =

F
Ax
F

MB =
MC =

xB

Moment of a Couple: Scalar

M=Fd

F
d

Where
F is magnitude of one force
d is the perpendicular distance
(or moment arm) between the
forces
direction by right-hand rule

+
-

Equivalent Couples
Couples are equivalent if:

They produce the same moment

Both Magnitude & Direction

This means the forces must either lie in the

same plane or parallel planes

Example Problem
Given:
F = 400 N (couple)
Find
equiv couple at DE

F
.2 m
F

.1m

Example Problem Solution

Given:
F = 400 N (couple)
Find:
equiv couple at DE
Solution:

F
.2 m
F

.1m

M Fd 400 N 0.2 m 80 Nm or 80 Nm cw

M 80 Nm
F

800 N
d
0.1 m

F2 -F2

(cw rotation)

Example Problem
Given:
F = 150 lb (couple)
Find
M

5
3
4

A
.1m
.3 m

F
F

Example Problem Solution

Given:
F = 150 lb (couple)
Find:
M
Solution:

5
3
4

.1m
.3 m

Breaking into components may be simpler than finding

perpendicular distance.
Fy
A

Fx

.1m
.3 m

Fy
B

Fx

Note:
There are now
2 couples

Example Problem Solution

Given:
F = 150 lb (couple)

5
3
4

A
.1m
.3 m

Fy
A

Fx

.1m
.3 m

M F

Fy
B

Fx

.1 Fy .3

4
3
150 .1 150 .3
5
5
120 .1 90 .3
390 lb ft ccw

Moment of a Couple: Vector

M=rxF
Where
r is position vector between the
lines of action of the forces
F is one forces
Think of taking the moment of one of
the forces about a point lying on
the line of action of the other force
Result is referred to as a free vector
it can act at any point

z
F
r

F
x

Example Problem
Given:
F=25 lb (couple)
= 30o
Find:
Couple Moment

z
F
O
x

F
B

A y

z
F

Example Problem
Solution

M rF
M A rAB FB

or

M B rBA FA

rAB 6 cos 30i 6 sin 30k

5.196i 3k

FB 25k lb
M A 5.196i 3k 25k 130 j lb in

F
B

A y

Example Problem
Given:
F1 = 200 N (couple)
F2 = 100 N (couple)
Find:
MR

z
E
.2m
5
3
A
F1
4 F2
D
.3m O
y
F2
B
F1
.4m
C
x

Example Problem
Solution
Given:
F1 = 200 N (couple)
F2 = 100 N (couple)
Find:
MR
M A rAB FB
Solution:

z
E
.2m
3 5
A
F1
4 F2
D
.3m O
y
F2
B
F1
.4m
C
x

M A .3k 200 j
60i Nm

M C rCD FD

M R M A MC

M C .2i 100

.4 j .3k
.4 2 (.3) 2

.2i (80 j 60k )

12 j 16k Nm
M R 60i 12 j 16k Nm