Statics – SS3 Further Mathematics Lesson Note (Second Term)

STATIC FORCES

POLYGON AND RESOLUTION OF FORCES

FORCES: Force is that action that tends to change the state of the body at rest or uniform motion in a straight line.

POLYGON OF FORCES: Is a broken line that is constructed to determine the resultant vector (geometric sum) of a given system of forces.

RESOLUTION OF FORCES

Resolution of forces is when a given force is resolved into two parts. i.e. x-axis called the horizontal component and the y-axis is called the VERTICAL COMPONENT.

If a force p acts at a point of angle to the x-axis. i.e.

 = P

 = P

 =      = ).

EXAMPLE                       

Resolution of forces

A force P is 230N, it is inclined to the horizontal at an angle of. Find the horizontal and vertical components of P.

ASSESSMENT: Work on the following questions from New Further Mathematics Project 3: 

• Page 186, exercise 12. Questions: 1,2,3, 5,7 and 8. 
• Page258 revision exercise chapter 12, questions: 13, 17, 20 and 23.