NAME & ID

DATE

MTE 119 STATICS

HOME WORK 1

Mechatronics Engineering

Problem 1:
If an object is near the surface of the earth, the variation of its weight with distance from the
center of the earth can often be neglected. The acceleration due to gravity at sea level is
g=9.81 m/s2. The radius of the earth is 6370 km. The weight of an object at sea level is mg,
where m is its mass. At what height above the earth does the weight of the object decrease to
0.99mg?
Solution:
Use Newtons law of gravitational attraction and Newtons second law:

GmmE
r2
W = ma
W=

a=

GmE
r2

(1)

mE - Mass of Earth

r - Distance between two masses

At sea level:

a=g

GmE = gRE2

r = RE

(2)

RE2
By substituting (2) in (1) a = g 2 Acceleration due to gravity at a distance r from the
r
center of earth in terms of g (sea level)
Therefore, the weight of the object at a distance r from the center of the earth (W=ma):

W = mg

RE2
r2

Calling h the height above the surface of the earth: r = RE + h

Therefore,
2

RE
W = mg
= 0.99mg
R
+
h
E

Solving for the radial height h:

h = RE
1
0.99
h = 32.09 km = 32.1 km

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NAME & ID

DATE

MTE 119 STATICS

HOME WORK 1

Mechatronics Engineering

Problem 2: (2-13 Textbook Page 27)

The 500 lb force acting on the frame is to be resolved
into two components acting along the axis of the
struts AB and AC. If the component of force along
AC is required to be 300 lb, directed from A to C,
determine the magnitude of force acting along AB
and the angle of the 500 lb force.

Solution:
Parallelogram law of addition is shown in figure (a).

FAB
500 lb
105o

500 lb

60o

45o

45o+
75o

300 lb

300 lb
(a)
Using the law of sines (figure b), we have

sin sin 75
=
300
500
sin = 0.5796

= 35.42o
Thus,

45o + + 75o + 35.42o = 180o

= 24.58o = 24.6o
FAB
500
=
o
sin(45 + 24.58 ) sin 75o
o

FAB = 485 lb

(b)

FAB

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NAME & ID

DATE

MTE 119 STATICS

HOME WORK 1

Mechatronics Engineering

Problem 3: (2-23 Textbook Page 29)

Determine the magnitude and direction of the
resultant FR = F1 + F2 + F3 of the three forces by first
finding the resultant F = F2 + F3 and then forming

FR = F + F1 .

Solution:

F1 = 30 N
F3 = 50 N

20

F2 = 20 N

F =

90o-23.53o-(90o-36.87o)=
13.34o

70o

F = 47.07 N

( 20 ) + ( 50 )
2

2 ( 20 )( 50 ) cos 70o = 47.07 N

20
47.07
=
sin sin 70o
= 23.53o

FR =

( 47.07 ) + ( 30 )
2

FR

2 ( 47.07 )( 30 ) cos13.34o = 19.18 = 19.2 N

19.18
30
=
o
sin13.34
sin

= 21.15o

= 23.53o 21.15o = 2.37o

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NAME & ID

DATE

MTE 119 STATICS

HOME WORK 1

Mechatronics Engineering

Problem 4:

JG

While emptying a wheel barrow, a gardener exerts on each handle AB a force P directed
JG
along line CD. Knowing that P must have a 135-N
C A
horizontal component, determine:

JG

a. The magnitude of the force P

40

JG

b. The vertical component of the force P

Note: Express your answers using three
significant figures.

Solution:

Resolve the force p into rectangular components:

C

G
P

G
Py

40o
G
Px = 135 N
(a)

G
G
Px = P cos 40

G
P =

(b)

G
Px
cos 40

135 N
= 176 N
cos 40

G
G
G
Py = Px tan 40 = P sin 40
G
Py = (135 N ) tan 40 = 113 N

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NAME & ID

DATE

MTE 119 STATICS

HOME WORK 1

Mechatronics Engineering

Problem 5: (2-47 Textbook Page 40)

Determine the x and y

components of each force acting
on the guesset plate of the bridge
truss. Show that the resultant
force is zero.

Solution:

F1x = 200 lb
F1 y = 0
4
F2 x = 400 =320 lb
5

3
F2 y = 400 =-240 lb
5
3
F3 x = 300 =180 lb
5
4
F3 y = 300 =240 lb
5
F4 x = 300 lb

F4 y = 0
FRx = F1x + F2 x + F3 x + F4 x
FRx = 200 + 320 + 180 300 = 0
FRy = F1 y + F2 y + F3 y + F4 y
FRy = 0 240 + 240 + 0 = 0
Thus, FR = 0

PAGE
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NAME & ID

DATE

MTE 119 STATICS

HOME WORK 1

Mechatronics Engineering

PROBLEM 6: (2-52 TEXTBOOK PAGE 41)

The three concurrent forces acting on
the screw eye produce a resultant

JJG

force FR = 0 . If F2 =

JJG

JJG
2
F1 and F1 is
3

to be 90 from F2 as shown,
determine the required magnitude of

JJG
F3 expressed in terms of F1 and the

angle .

SOLUTION:
Express forces in Cartesian Vector notation:

JJG
F1 = F1 cos 60D i + F1 sin 60D j = 0.50 F1 i + 0.8660 F1 j

JJG 2
2
F2 = F1 cos 30D i F1 sin 30D j = 0.5774 F1 i 0.3333F1 j
3
3
JJG
F3 = F3 sin i F3 cos j
Find the resultant force:

JJG JJG JJG JJG

FR = F1 + F2 + F3 = 0

( 0.50 F1 + 0.5774 F1 F3 sin ) i + ( 0.8660 F1 0.3333F1 F3 cos ) j = 0

Equating i and j components we have:

0.50 F1 + 0.5774 F1 F3 sin = 0

(1)

0.8660 F1 0.3333F1 F3 cos = 0

(2)

Solving Equations (1) and (2) yields:

= 63.7D , F3 = 1.20 F1

PAGE
6

NAME & ID

DATE

MTE 119 STATICS

HOME WORK 1

Mechatronics Engineering

Problem 7: (2-70 Textbook Page 53)

Determine the magnitude and

coordinate direction angles of the
resultant force and sketch this
vector on the coordinate system.

Solution:

FR = F1 + F2
FR = 350 cos 60i + 350 cos 60 j 350 cos 45k
4
4
3
+ 250 cos 30i 250 sin 30 j + 250 k
5
5
5
FR = {348.21i + 75.0 j 97.487 k } N

FR =

( 348.21) + ( 75.0 ) ( 97.487 )

2

= 369.29 = 369 N
348.21
o
= 19.5
369.29

= cos 1

75.0
o
= 78.3
369.29

= cos 1

97.487
o
= 105
369.29

= cos 1

PAGE
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NAME & ID

DATE

MTE 119 STATICS

HOME WORK 1

Mechatronics Engineering

Problem 8: (2-73 Textbook Page 53)

The bracket is subjected to the two

forces shown. Express each force
in Cartesian vector form and then
determine the resultant force FR.
Find the magnitude and coordinate
direction angels of the resultant
force.

Solution:
Cartesian Vector notation:

F1 = 250 {cos 35sin 25i + cos 35cos 25 j sin 35k} N

= {86.55i + 185.60 j 143.39k} N
= {86.5i + 186 j 143k} N

F2 = 400 {cos120i + cos 45 j + cos 60k} N

= {200.0i + 282.84 j + 200.0k} N
= {200i + 283 j + 200k} N
Resultant force:

FR = F1 + F2

= {( 86.55 200.0 ) i + (185.60 + 282.84 ) j + ( 143.39 + 200.0 ) k }

= {113.45i + 468.44 j + 56.61k } N
= {113i + 468 j + 56.6k } N

The magnitude of the resultant force is

FR = FR2x + FR2y + FR2z

FR =

( 113.45 ) + ( 468.44 ) + ( 56.61)

= 485.30 = 485N

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NAME & ID
Mechatronics Engineering

The coordinate direction angles are,

cos =

FRx

cos =

FRy

cos =

FRz

FR
FR
FR

113.45
= 104o
485.30

468.44
= 15.1o
485.30

56.61
= 83.3o
485.30

DATE

MTE 119 STATICS

HOME WORK 1

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