This document discusses parallel forces and couples. It defines like and unlike parallel forces and provides examples of calculating the resultant of parallel forces using analytical methods. It then defines a couple as a pair of equal and opposite parallel forces and discusses the arm and moment of a couple. It classifies couples as clockwise or anticlockwise and lists characteristics of couples, including that a couple cannot be balanced by a single force. An example problem is provided to find the values of forces acting on a square that reduce the system to a couple.
5. LIKE PARALLEL FORCES
• The forces, whose lines of action are parallel
to each other and all of them act in the same
• Direction
7. UNLIKE PARALLEL FORCES
The forces, whose lines of action
are parallel to each other and all
of them do not act in the
same direction
8. METHODS FOR MAGNITUDE AND POSITION OF
THE RESULTANT OF
PARALLEL FORCES-ANALYTICAL METHOD
• Example 1- Two like parallel forces of 50 N and
100 N act at the ends of a rod 360 mm long.
Find the magnitude of the resultant force and
the point where it acts.
9. Example 4.2. A beam 3 m long weighing 400 N is suspended in
horizontal position by two vertical strings, each of which can
withstand a maximum tension of 350 N only. How far a body of
200 N weight be placed on the beam, so that one of the strings
may just break ?
10. COUPLE
A pair of two equal and unlike parallel forces
(i.e. forces equal in magnitude, with lines of
action parallel to each other and acting in
opposite directions) is known as a couple.
11. ARM OF A COUPLE
• The perpendicular distance (a), between the
lines of action of the two equal and opposite
parallel forces, is known as arm of the couple
12. MOMENT OF A COUPLE
• The moment of a couple is the product of the
force (i.e., one of the forces of the two equal
and opposite parallel forces) and the arm of
the couple.
Moment of a couple = P × a
where P = Magnitude of the force, and
a = Arm of the couple.
16. CHARACTERISTICS OF A COUPLE
• A couple (whether clockwise or anticlockwise) has the following
characteristics :
• 1. The algebraic sum of the forces, constituting the couple, is zero.
• 2. The algebraic sum of the moments of the forces, constituting the
couple, about any point
• is the same, and equal to the moment of the couple itself.
• 3. A couple cannot be balanced by a single force. But it can be
balanced only by a couple of
• opposite sense.
• 4. Any no. of coplaner couples can be reduced to a single couple,
whose magnitude will be
• equal to the algebraic sum of the moments of all the couples.
17. Example 1
A square ABCD has forces acting along its sides
as shown in Fig. Find the values of P and Q, if
the system reduces to a couple. Also find
magnitude of the couple, if the side of the
square is 1 m.