Chapter 1

General Principles

Engineering Mechanics:
Statics

Chapter Objectives
To

provide an introduction to the basic

quantities and idealizations of mechanics.
To give a statement of Newtons Laws of Motion
and Gravitation.
To review the principles for applying the SI
system of units.
To examine the standard procedures for
performing numerical calculations.
To present a general guide for solving problems.

Chapter Outline
Mechanics
Fundamental

Concepts
Units of Measurement
The International System of Units
Numerical Calculations
General Procedure for Analysis

1.1 Mechanics
Mechanics

can be divided into 3

branches:
- Rigid-body Mechanics
- Deformable-body Mechanics
- Fluid Mechanics
Rigid-body Mechanics deals with
- Statics
- Dynamics

1.1 Mechanics
Statics

Equilibrium of bodies

At rest Move with constant velocity.

(Bidang statik adalah berkenaan dengan keseimbangan badan-badan yang

berada dalam keadaan rehat atau bergerak dengan halaju malar apabila
ditindak oleh daya-daya)

Dynamics Accelerated motion of

bodies
(berkenaan dengan badan yang bergerak dengan pecutan)

1.2 Fundamentals Concepts

Basic Quantities
Length

Locate position and describe size of physical

system
Define distance and geometric properties of a body
(ialah ukuran kedudukan satu titik dalam ruang untuk menerangkan saiz fizikal
sistem berkenaan.)

Mass

Comparison of action of one body against another

Measure of resistance of matter to a change in
velocity
(Jisim ialah sifat sesuatu jasad/objek yang menentukan berapa banyak
penentangan objek itu terhadap perubahan dalam halajunya.)

1.2 Fundamentals Concepts

Basic Quantities
Time

Conceive as succession of events

(pengukuran terhadap kejadian-kejadian yang berlaku secara berturutan)

Force
(tindakan satu badan (samada menolak atau menarik) keatas badan lain).

push or pull exerted by one body on another

Occur due to direct contact between bodies
Eg: Person pushing against the wall
Occur through a distance without direct contact
Eg: Gravitational, electrical and magnetic forces

1.2 Fundamentals Concepts

Idealizations
Particles

Consider mass but neglect size

Eg: Size of Earth insignificant compared to
its size of orbit
(zarah-satu badan yang sangat kecil apabila jisim atau dimensinya tidak
diambil kira dalam analisis sessuatu masalah)

Rigid

Body
Combination of large number of particles
Neglect material properties
(cantuman rangkaian zarah-zarah yang banyak, apabila semua zarah ini
berada pada satu jarak yang tetap antara satu sama lain samada sebelum
atau selepas badan itu ditindakan daya)

1.2 Fundamentals Concepts

Newtons Three Laws of Motion
First

Law
A particle originally at rest, or moving
in a straight line with constant velocity,
will remain in this state provided that
the particle is not subjected to an
unbalanced
force

APLIKASI HUKUM KEDUA NEWTON

APLIKASI HUKUM 1 NEWTON

MENGAPA ORANG ITU BISA TERPENTAL

????

1.2 Fundamentals Concepts

Newtons Three Laws of Motion
Second

Law
A particle acted upon by an
unbalanced force F experiences an
acceleration a that has the same
direction as the force and a magnitude
that is directly proportional to the
force

F ma

APLIKASI HUKUM KEDUA NEWTON

APLIKASI HUKUM KEDUA NEWTON

1.2 Fundamentals Concepts

Newtons Three Laws of Motion
Third

Law
The mutual forces of action and
reaction between two particles are
equal and, opposite and collinear

1.2 Fundamentals Concepts

Comparing F = mg with F = ma
g

is the acceleration due to gravity

Since g is dependent on r, weight of a body
is not an absolute quantity
Magnitude is determined from where the
measurement is taken
For most engineering calculations, g is
determined at sea level and at a latitude of
45

1.3 Units of Measurement

SI Units
Systme

International dUnits
F = ma is maintained only if
Three of the units, called base units, are
arbitrarily defined
Fourth unit is derived from the equation
SI system specifies length in meters (m),
time in seconds (s) and mass in kilograms
(kg)
Unit of force, called Newton (N) is derived
from F = ma

1.3 Units of Measurement

Name

Length Time

Internation Meter Secon

al Systems (m)
d (s)
of Units
(SI)

Mass

Force

Kilogra
m (kg)

Newto
n (N)

kg.m
2
s

1.3 Units of Measurement

At

the standard location,

g = 9.806 65 m/s2
For calculations, we use
g = 9.81 m/s2
Thus,

W = mg

(g = 9.81m/s2)
Hence, a body of mass 1 kg has a
weight of 9.81 N, a 2 kg body weighs
19.62 N

1.4 The International System

of Units
Prefixes
For

a very large or very small numerical

quantity, the units can be modified by
using a prefix
Each represent a multiple or submultiple of a unit
Eg: 4,000,000 N = 4000 kN (kilo-newton)
= 4 MN (mega- newton)
0.005m = 5 mm (milli-meter)

1.4 The International System

of Units
Exponential Prefix
Form

SI Symbol

Multiple
1 000 000 000 109

Giga

1 000 000

106

Mega

1 000

103

Kilo

0.001

10-3

Milli

0.000 001

10-6

Micro

0.000 000 001 10-9

nano

SubMultiple

1.4 The International System

of Units
Rules for Use
Never

write a symbol with a plural

s. Easily confused with second (s)
Symbols are always written in
lowercase letters, except the 2
largest prefixes, mega (M) and giga
(G)
Symbols named after an individual
are capitalized Eg: newton (N)

1.4 The International System

of Units
Rules for Use
Quantities

defined by several units

which are multiples, are separated
by a dot
Eg: N = kg.m/s2 = kg.m.s-2
The exponential power represented
for a unit having a prefix refer to
both the unit and its prefix
Eg: N2 = (N)2 = N. N

1.4 The International System

of Units
Rules for Use
Physical

constants with several digits

on either side should be written with a
space between 3 digits rather than a
comma
Eg: 73 569.213 427

In

calculations, represent numbers in

terms of their base or derived units by
converting all prefixes to powers of 10

1.4 The International System

of Units
Rules for Use
Eg: (50kN)(60nm) = [50(103)N][60(10-9)m]
= 3000(10-6)N.m
= 3(10-3)N.m
= 3 mN.m
The

final result should be expressed

using a single prefix

1.4 The International System

of Units
Rules for Use
Compound

prefix should not be used

Eg: ks (kilo-micro-second) should be expressed as
ms (milli-second) since
1 ks = 1 (103)(10-6) s = 1 (10-3) s = 1ms
With exception of base unit kilogram, avoid
use of prefix in the denominator of
composite units
Eg: Do not write N/mm but rather kN/m
Also, m/mg should be expressed as Mm/kg

1.4 The International System

of Units
Rules for Use
Although

not expressed in terms of

multiples of 10, the minute, hour etc
are retained for practical purposes as
multiples of second.
Plane angular measurements are
made using radians. In this class,
degrees would be often used where
180 = rad

1.5 Numerical Calculations

Dimensional

Homogeneity

- Each term must be expressed in

the same units
Eg: s = vt + at2 where s is
position in meters (m), t is time in
seconds (s), v is velocity in m/s and
a is acceleration in m/s2
- Regardless of how the equation is
evaluated, it maintains its
dimensional homogeneity

1.5 Numerical Calculations

Dimensional

Homogeneity

- All the terms of an equation can

be replaced by a consistent set of
units, that can be used as a partial
check for algebraic manipulations
of an equation

1.5 Numerical Calculations

Significant

Figures

- The accuracy of a number is specified

by the number of significant figures it
contains
- A significant figure is any digit including
zero, provided it is not used to specify
the location of the decimal point for the
number
Eg: 5604 and 34.52 have four significant
numbers

1.5 Numerical Calculations

Significant

Figures

- When numbers begin or end with zero, we

make use of prefixes to clarify the number of
significant figures
Eg: 400 as one significant figure would be
0.4(103)
2500 as three significant figures would be
2.50(103)

1.5 Numerical Calculations

Computers are often used in engineering for

advanced design and analysis

1.5 Numerical Calculations

Rounding

Off Numbers

- For numerical calculations, the

accuracy obtained from the solution of a
problem would never be better than the
accuracy of the problem data
- Often handheld calculators or
computers involve more figures in the
answer than the number of significant
figures in the data

1.5 Numerical Calculations

Rounding

Off Numbers

- Calculated results should always be

rounded off to an appropriate number
of significant figures

1.5 Numerical Calculations

Rules

for Rounding to n significant

figures
- If the n+1 digit is less than 5, the n+1 digit
and others following it are dropped
Eg: 2.326 and 0.451 rounded off to n = 2
significance figures would be 2.3 and 0.45
- If the n+1 digit is equal to 5 with zero
following it, then round nth digit to an even
number
Eg: 1.245(103) and 0.8655 rounded off to n = 3
significant figures become 1.24(10 3) and 0.866

1.5 Numerical Calculations

Rules

for Rounding to n significant

figures
- If the n+1 digit is greater than 5 or
equal to 5 with non-zero digits following
it, increase the nth digit by 1 and drop
the n+1digit and the others following it
Eg: 0.723 87 and 565.5003 rounded off
to n = 3 significance figures become
0.724 and 566

1.5 Numerical Calculations

Calculations

- To ensure the accuracy of the final

results, always retain a greater number
of digits than the problem data
- If possible, try work out computations
so that numbers that are approximately
equal are not subtracted
-In engineering, we generally round off
final answers to three significant figures

1.5 Numerical Calculations

Example 1.1
Evaluate each of the following and express
with SI units having an approximate prefix: (a)
(50 mN)(6 GN), (b) (400 mm)(0.6 MN) 2, (c) 45
MN3/900 Gg
Solution
First convert to base units, perform indicated
operations and choose an appropriate prefix

1.5 Numerical Calculations

(a) 50mN 6GN

30010 N
1kN 1kN
30010 N

10 N 10 N
50 10 3 N 6 109 N
6

300kN 2

1.5 Numerical Calculations

(b)

400mm 0.6MN

m0.610 N
40010 m0.3610 N
14410 m.N
400 10

3
3

144Gm.kN 2

12

1.5 Numerical Calculations

(c)

45MN 3 / 900Gg
4510 N

900106 kg
3

0.051012 N 3 / kg
1kN 1
0.0510 N 3
10 N kg
12

0.05103 kN 3 / kg
50kN 3 / kg

1.6 General Procedure for

Analysis
Most

efficient way of learning is to solve

problems

To

be successful at this, it is important

to present work in a logical and orderly
way as suggested:
1) Read problem carefully and try
correlate actual physical situation with
theory
2) Draw any necessary diagrams and
tabulate the problem data

1.6 General Procedure for

Analysis
3) Apply relevant principles, generally in
mathematics forms
4) Solve the necessary equations
algebraically as far as practical, making
sure that they are dimensionally
homogenous, using a consistent set of
units and complete the solution
numerically
5) Report the answer with no more
significance figures than accuracy of the
given data

1.6 General Procedure for

Analysis
6) Study the answer with technical
judgment and common sense to determine
whether or not it seems reasonable

1.6 General Procedure for

Analysis

When solving the problems, do the work as

neatly as possible. Being neat generally
stimulates clear and orderly thinking and
vice versa.