TUTORIAL 1

Mechanics
A branch of physical
science which deals with
( the states of rest or
motion of ) bodies under
action of forces

Mechanics

Statics
-Equilibrium

Dynamics

-Selected
Topics

Kinematics

Statics:
Equilibrium of bodies
(no accelerated
motion)
under action of Forces

Kinetics

-Particles

-Particles

-Rigid Bodies

- Rigid Bodies

Dynamics: Motion of
bodies

Basic Concept - Definition

Particle:
Rigid body:
Non-rigid body:

Body of negligible dimensions

Body with negligible deformations
Body which can deform

Before considering
whether the body can
be assumed rigid-body
or not,
you need to estimate
the relevant force first.

In Statics, bodies are considered rigid unless stated

otherwise.

SCALARS AND VECTORS

Scalars: associated with Magnitude alone

- mass, density, volume, time, energy,

Vectors: associated with Magnitude and Direction

- force, displacement, velocity,

acceleration,
Magnitud
e:r
| V | or V

Vector
:r

V or V
: Direction

THE PARALLELOGRAM LAW

The two vectors V1 and V2 ,treated as free vectors, can be replaced by their
equivalent V, which is the diagonal of the parallelogram formed by V 1 and V2
as its two sides.

r
V2

r
V2
r
V1

r
V1
r r r
V V1 V2

r
V

r
V

r
V1

r
V2

(generally V V1 V2 )

Note: If there are not free vectors, you can sum them if and
only if they have the same point of the application.

Summation of Force
r
F2
r
F1

concurrent
forces

r non-concurrent
F2
r
F1

r r
F1 F2

r
F2
r
F1

r
r
F1 F2

if there are sliding

vectors

Trigonometry Functions Of A Right-Angle Triangle

sine = opposite side = o = cosine

hypotenuse h

h
o

cosine = adjacent side = a = sine

hypotenuse h
tangent = opposite side = o
adjacent side a

tangent
cos

sin

Sine And Cosine Rules

For triangles that are not right-angle, the following two laws are
important in vector algebra introduced in chapter two later:
Cosine Rule

a2 = b2 + c2 2bc cos

b2 = a2 + c2 2ac cos

2
2
c2 = aSine
+b
2ab acos =
Rule

sin

sin

=
c
sin

Example 3
Find the length of the unknown side a and the angle .

Cosine rule : a2 = b2+c22bccosi.e. a2 = 62+420

2x6x4cos20
= 36 +16-

200

6m

6x4xcos200
= 6.9
a=
4m
Sine rule : 2.63m
2.63
=
6
0
sin
20
sine = 6 x sin =
sin
200
51.30
2.63

Geometry
Some of the basic rules are shown below:
Sum of supplementary angles = 180
+ = 180

0
0

A straight line intersecting two

parallel lines

= ,

= ,

Similar triangles ABC and ADE, by

proportion

AB
AD

B
D

= BC = AC
DE
AE

Hence if AB = 6, AD = 3 and BC = 4, Then,

6 = 4
3
DE
DE = (3 x 4)
6

C
E

=2

NEWTONS LAWS OF MOTION (1st Law)

The study of rigid body mechanics is formulated
on the basis of Newtons laws of motion.
First Law:
An object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in
motion tends to stay in motion with the same speed
and in the same direction, unless acted upon by an
unbalanced force.

v v
F 0

Vector Operator

Question 1

Answer

Question 2

Answer

Principle of moment

Question 3

Answer

Question 4

Answer