Understanding the Moment of a Force: Statics of Rigid Bodies

Click For Summary
SUMMARY

This discussion focuses on understanding the moment of a force in the context of statics of rigid bodies. Key concepts include the calculation of moments using the formula M = ∑(r × F), where r is the moment arm and F is the force. The right-hand rule is emphasized for determining the direction of moments, specifically distinguishing between clockwise (CW) and counter-clockwise (CCW) moments. Participants shared insights from their physics classes, reinforcing the importance of breaking down problems into manageable steps.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of basic physics concepts, specifically moments and forces.
  • Familiarity with vector cross-products and their applications in mechanics.
  • Knowledge of the right-hand rule for determining moment directions.
  • Ability to perform calculations involving force components and moment arms.
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the application of the right-hand rule in various force scenarios.
  • Explore advanced topics in statics, such as equilibrium of rigid bodies.
  • Learn about the implications of moment arms in mechanical design.
  • Investigate real-world applications of moments in engineering problems.
USEFUL FOR

Students in physics and engineering disciplines, educators teaching statics, and professionals involved in mechanical design and analysis will benefit from this discussion.

Frederica Salt
Messages
16
Reaction score
3
How can I identify the direction of a force in finding its moment? :rolleyes:
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Do you know that magnitude of the moment? The direction of the moment? The moment arm? The magnitude of the force?
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Frederica Salt
EM_Guy said:
Do you know that magnitude of the moment? The direction of the moment? The moment arm? The magnitude of the force?
I can hardly elaborate my question. :frown: I mean when you have to find its components and get the moment using its components. It's force x distance right? But the negative and positive thing there. It confuses me.
 
Are you familiar with the cross-product and the right hand rule?

It sounds like you need to think about the basic concept of what a moment is.

Have you ever tried to push open a door by pressing on the door very near the hinge of the door? Did you find that to be difficult? What happens when you press on the door further away from the hinge?
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Frederica Salt
EM_Guy said:
Are you familiar with the cross-product and the right hand rule?

It sounds like you need to think about the basic concept of what a moment is.

Have you ever tried to push open a door by pressing on the door very near the hinge of the door? Did you find that to be difficult? What happens when you press on the door further away from the hinge?
Yes we had that discussion in my physics 1 class. I have here an example. I hope this could help us understand each other.
 

Attachments

  • media_070_070ef597-5e78-49c5-9a02-dc2e55d4e851_phpAsFnm0.png
    media_070_070ef597-5e78-49c5-9a02-dc2e55d4e851_phpAsFnm0.png
    70.1 KB · Views: 619
EM_Guy said:
Are you familiar with the cross-product and the right hand rule?

It sounds like you need to think about the basic concept of what a moment is.

Have you ever tried to push open a door by pressing on the door very near the hinge of the door? Did you find that to be difficult? What happens when you press on the door further away from the hinge?
It's 2D.
 


So, ##M = \sum(r \times F)## The object tends to rotate about the axis of the moment vector.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Frederica Salt
EM_Guy said:


So, ##M = \sum(r \times F)## The object tends to rotate about the axis of the moment vector.

Sir, thank you so much for the help.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: EM_Guy
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Frederica Salt
  • #10
EM_Guy said:

Thank you. :)
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: EM_Guy
  • #11




Hopefully these videos help.
 
  • #12
Frederica Salt said:
Yes we had that discussion in my physics 1 class. I have here an example. I hope this could help us understand each other.
That is really simple question. Firstly, you should find the moment of point "O" ,that is zero, to find Fx and Fy. Finally, F is sqrt[(Fx)^2 + (Fy)^2].
 
  • #13
Frederica Salt said:
Yes we had that discussion in my physics 1 class. I have here an example. I hope this could help us understand each other.

Do you know what the moment about O is or what the magnitude of the (3,4,5) force is? Or do you need to find the magnitude of this force so that the moment about O would be equal to 0?

The total moment about O is the sum of the moments about O for each force. The first step is to find the moment arm between O and the point at which the forces are being applied. Then you do cross-products.
 
  • #14
EM_Guy said:
Do you know what the moment about O is or what the magnitude of the (3,4,5) force is? Or do you need to find the magnitude of this force so that the moment about O would be equal to 0?

The total moment about O is the sum of the moments about O for each force. The first step is to find the moment arm between O and the point at which the forces are being applied. Then you do cross-products.
Thyphon said:
That is really simple question. Firstly, you should find the moment of point "O" ,that is zero, to find Fx and Fy. Finally, F is sqrt[(Fx)^2 + (Fy)^2].
This was it. I would always have hard time in determining the negative and positive thing when it comes to problems like this one.
 

Attachments

  • 123.png
    123.png
    6.3 KB · Views: 638
  • #15
Frederica Salt said:
This was it. I would always have hard time in determining the negative and positive thing when it comes to problems like this one.

Just take it one step at a time, and make sure each step makes sense.

In this problem, if you were going to find the moment about A, it would just be the sum of the moments of each force about A. The first thing to do would be to use the right hand rule to make sure you understand the orientation of the moment about A of each individual force. For example, by the right hand rule, you can tell that the force Q produces a counter-clockwise (CCW) moment about A. The upwards 80 lb force would produce a CCW moment about A, but the downwards 80 lb force would produce a CW moment about A. Also, the downwards 80 lb force would produce a moment about A of greater magnitude than the moment produced by the upwards 80 lb force. Can you see why? Can you figure out the orientation (CW or CCW) of the moments produced by the rest of the forces?
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Frederica Salt and Thyphon
  • #16
Take a look these below.

1.JPG
2.JPG
3.JPG
4.JPG
5.JPG
6.JPG
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Frederica Salt
  • #17
EM_Guy said:
Just take it one step at a time, and make sure each step makes sense.

In this problem, if you were going to find the moment about A, it would just be the sum of the moments of each force about A. The first thing to do would be to use the right hand rule to make sure you understand the orientation of the moment about A of each individual force. For example, by the right hand rule, you can tell that the force Q produces a counter-clockwise (CCW) moment about A. The upwards 80 lb force would produce a CCW moment about A, but the downwards 80 lb force would produce a CW moment about A. Also, the downwards 80 lb force would produce a moment about A of greater magnitude than the moment produced by the upwards 80 lb force. Can you see why? Can you figure out the orientation (CW or CCW) of the moments produced by the rest of the forces?
Thank you tho. :) We had this problem in our class for Mechanics and fortunately I was able to finally get it. :biggrin: Salamat for your help. :)
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
1K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
2K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
1K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 61 ·
3
Replies
61
Views
5K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
2K