Chap. I. MECHANICS AND STATICS.

311
successively ibr
Fit;. 5?3.
ABD, DBC, which AB and BC form with the vertical BD, by taking
radius the diagonals BD, BE, and BF.
1255. In the accompanying diagram, the weight, instead of being suspended Ijy strinn-s
acting by tension, is sustained by forces which are supposed to
act by pushing. But as this arrangement makes no alteration
^
." '
in the system of forces, we may apply to this figure all that has
been said with respect to tlie preceding one. The only differ-
ence is, that the parallelogram of the forces is below the
weight instead of being above it. Thus ID+IB=BD ex-
presses the sum of the vertical forces which support the weight,
and i\IB and BL the horizontal forces which counteract each
other.
1 256. In the two preceding figures the direction of the forces
which act by tension or compression in supporting the weight
form an acute angle. In those represented in
Jiff.
52]. and the
figure at the side (524.), these directions make an obtuse angle
;
whence it follows that in
Jiff.
521. the force C which draws the weight out of the vertical
A L, instead of tending to support the weight B, increases its
effect by its tendency to act in the same direction. In order to
ascertain the amount of this effect upon BD in
Jiffs.
521. and
524., which represents the vertical action of the weight, describe
the parallelogram BAD!', for the purpose of determining tlie
oblique forces BA, BF, and then take these sides for the diago-
nals of the two rectangles LAIB, BHFM, whose sides BI, BH
will express the vertical forces, and LB, BM the horizontal
ones.
1257. It must be observed that in
Jiff.
521. the force AB
acting upwards renders its vertical effect greater than the weight
of a (quantity ID, which serves as a compensation to the part
BH, tliat the other force BF adds to the weight by drawing
downwards. Similarly, the vertical effect of the force BE
(Jiff.
524.) exceeds the expression BD of the weight by a quantity DI,
to counterpoise the effect BH of the other power BF, which acts downwards; so that in
both cases we have BD only for the vertical eflect of the weight. As to the horizontal
effects LB and BM, they being equal and in oppo-
site cUrections in botli figures, of course counteract
each other.
] 258. For the same reason that a force can be re-
solved into two others, those two others may be re-
solved into one, by making that one the diagonal of a
parallelogram whose forces are represented by two
contiguous sides. It is clear, then, that whatever
x-f
the number of forces which affect any point, they
may be reduced into a single one. It is only neces-
sary to discover the results of the forces two by two
and to combine these results similarly two by two,
till we come to the principal ones, which may be ul-
timately reduced to one, as we have seen above. By
such a process we shall find that PY
(Jiff.
525.) is
the result of the forces PA, PB, PC, PD, which
affect the point P.
1259. This method of resolving forces is often of great utility in the science of building,
for the purpose of providing a force to resist several others acting in different directions but.
meeting in one point.
FiR. 5'il.
I
Y
Fig. 525.
OF THE PROPEKTIES OF THE LEVER.
1260. Tlie lever is an Inflexible rod, bar, or beam serving to raise weights, whilst it it
supported at a point by a fulcrum, or prop, which is the centre of motion. To render the
demonstrations relative to it easier and simpler, it is supposed to be void of gravity or
weight. The different positions in which the power applied to it, and the weight to be
affected, may be applied in respect of the fulcrum, have given rise to the distinction of
tliree sorts of levers.
I. That represented in
Jiff.
526., in which the fulcrum O is between the power applied
P and the weight Q.
II. That represented in_;fy 527., in which the weight
Q
is jjlaced between the fulcrum