Any system of forces may be replaced by a single force throu
with a couple. The single force has components in thre
irections which are equal to the sums of the components of the separate forces in these
directions. The couple has components about the three given axes which are equal to the
sums of the mo~ents of all the forces in the system about these axes.
A
body
is
in equilibriu~ only if the forces acting upon it have no resultant force and
no resultant couple. For the resultant force to be zero, the
SUM
of the ~ompollents in each
of three mutually perpendicular directions must be zero.
x=
0
Y=
0
z=
0
In
order that the resultant couple should be zero, the sum of the ~ome~ts of all of the
forces about each of three ~utually perpendicular axes must also be zero.
M.
=
0
My
=
0
M-
=
0
These six equations are the general conditions of equilibrium of forces in space. In
particular problems a judicious choice
of
axes about which to take moments will often
shorten the solution, For instance any particular force is eliminated from the ~oment
calculation if moments are taken about an axis intersecting this force or an axis parallel
to it. This
is
because a force has no moment about an
axis
if it either intersects the axis
or
is
parallel to it.
In the solution of problems, it is often convenient to consider what motion will be
permitted if a certain reaction is removed. This reveals what equilibrium equation can be
used to evaluate this reaction. For instance, if removal of a given reaction would leave the
body free to rotate about the y axis, then an equation of moments about the
y
axis will
enable that reaction to be calculated.