What is the Sign Convention for Moments in Free Body Diagrams?

In summary: But if you change the convention to use down as positive, then Dy would also have to be changed to be consistent with the other equations.
  • #1
theone
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Homework Statement


In the picture, I am confused with the sign of the moments. When taking moments about D, the moment due to the 100N is taken as positive, but when they take moments about B, its negative.

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution


Shouldn't both cases be negative since in either case, they cause a clockwise moment about the pivot?
 

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  • #2
Not quite. It doesn't really matter whether you choose clockwise or anticlockwise to be the positive direction for both, as the two equations do not depend on each other. Even if you assumed the moment due to the 100 N force to be negative for both cases, you would still end up with the same answer, as the sign corresponding to the other forces for the first equation would change as well. Do try it out and convince yourself.
 
  • #3
theone said:
Shouldn't both cases be negative since in either case, they cause a clockwise moment about the pivot?
If they followed a consistent sign convention, yes. But it really doesn't matter, as long as within each equation all clockwise moments have the same sign. (After all, you can multiply both sides of the equations by -1, which switches the sign, and nothing really changes.)
 
  • #4
but what if, instead of taking moments about B like they have, Dy was found by summing forces in the y direction.

wouldn't the convention chosen to get By lead to different answers for Dy, because of the sign of By?
 
  • #5
theone said:
but what if, instead of taking moments about B like they have, Dy was found by summing forces in the y direction.
Try it and see. You get the same answer.

theone said:
wouldn't the convention chosen to get By lead to different answers for Dy, because of the sign of By?
The convention used for the forces is that up is positive. That was used consistently. (The unknown forces By and Dy were initially assumed to point upward, which is why By came out negative.)
 

Related to What is the Sign Convention for Moments in Free Body Diagrams?

1. What is a free body diagram?

A free body diagram is a visual representation of the forces acting on an object. It is a useful tool in physics and engineering to analyze the motion of an object by breaking down all the forces acting on it.

2. How do you draw a free body diagram?

To draw a free body diagram, you first need to identify the object and all the forces acting on it. Then, draw a labeled dot or point to represent the object, and draw arrows to represent the direction and magnitude of each force. Make sure to label each force with its corresponding symbol and value.

3. What are the key components of a free body diagram?

The key components of a free body diagram are the object, the forces acting on it, and the direction and magnitude of each force. It is important to also label the diagram with the object's name, the symbols and values of each force, and any other relevant information.

4. Why are free body diagrams important?

Free body diagrams are important because they help us understand the forces acting on an object and how they affect its motion. They allow us to break down complex situations into simpler components, making it easier to analyze and solve problems in physics and engineering.

5. Can you use free body diagrams in everyday situations?

Yes, free body diagrams can be used to analyze everyday situations such as a person pushing a shopping cart, a car driving on a road, or a book resting on a table. They can help us understand the forces involved and how they affect the objects in motion.

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