Engineering Mechanics (KCE 301)

Unit : 1
Lecture : 2
Newton's laws of motion & Principle of
transmissibility of force

16/09/19 1
 The principle of transmissibility of forces: This states that the conditions of
equilibrium or of motion of a rigid body will remain unchanged if a force acting at
a given point of the rigid body is replaced by a force of the same magnitude and
same direction, but acting at a different point, provided that the two forces have the
same line of action.
Line of action of
force same F
We can slide the force along the
Rigid body
line of action, state of the body will
B be unchanged.

= Force can be consider as a sliding

vector
A Rigid body

F Limitation of principle of transmissibility of forces:

1. It holds good only for rigid bodies
2. Line of action of force is same
3. Direction or sense of the force is same.
4. Point of action is different.
 Newton’s three fundamentals laws:-

Newton’s 1st law of motion (inertia): If the resultant force acting on a particle is
zero, the particle will remain at rest (if originally at rest) or will move with constant
speed in a straight line (if originally in motion).

An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same
speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by any unbalanced force.

Newton’s 2nd law (force): If the resultant force acting on a particle is not zero, the
particle will have acceleration proportional to the magnitude of the resultant and in
the direction of this resultant force.

Newton’s 3rd law (action = reaction): The forces of action and reaction between
bodies in contact have the same magnitude, same line of action, and opposite sense.

F  ma
 Newton’s law of gravitation: This states that two particles of mass M and m are
mutually attracted with equal and opposite forces F and –F.
Where,
r = distance between the two particles and
G = universal constant called the constant of gravitation.
m1m2
F  F1  F2  G 2
r
11 m2
G  6.67428  10 N
kg 2

The force F exerted by the earth on the particle is defined as the weight W of the
particle. Taking M equal to the mass of the earth, m equal to the mass of the particle,
and r equal to the radius R of the earth, and introducing the constant.
M
g G
r2
The magnitude of weight ‘W’ of the particle of mass ‘m’ is expressed as :

W  mg
 THANK YOU.

16/09/19 5