Statics (Quiz 1)?

Statics

The study of the equilibrium of bodies under the action of forces that are applied to them.

Space

The collection of all positions in our universe that a point may occupy.

Time

Provides a measure of when an event, or sequence of events, occurs.

Mass

The amount of matter, or material, in an object.

Force

An agency that is capable of producing motion of an object.

Particle

An object whose mass is concentrated at a point. For this reason, a particle is also called a point mass, and it is said to have zero volume.

Body

Has mass and occupies a volume of space. In nature all bodies are deformable. That is, when a body is subjected to forces, the distances between points in the body may change.

Rigid body

A body that is not deformable, and hence the distance between any two points in the body never changes.

Scalar

Is a quantity that is completely characterized by a single number. For example, temperature, length, and density.

Vector

An entity that has both size (or magnitude) and direction. In this book, vectors are denoted by placing an arrow above the symbol for the vector.

Newton’s first law

A particle remains at rest, or continues to move in a straight line with uniform velocity, if there is no unbalanced force acting on it.

Newton’s second law

The acceleration of a particle is proportional to the resultant force acting on the particle and is in the direction of this force. The mathematical statement of this law is F=ma.

Newton’s third law

The forces of action and reaction between interacting bodies are equal in magnitude, and opposite in direction, and collinear.

Static equilibrium

When there is no acceleration.

Force

Any agency that is capable of producing an acceleration of an unsupported body.

Contact force

Force that is developed when two bodies touch.

2 parts of contact forces

A normal-direction force and a tangential-direction force (friction force).

Field force

A force between bodies that acts through space.

Dimensional homogeneity

The symbol “=” means that what is on the left-hand side of the symbol is the same as what is on the right-hand side. For an expression to be correct, it must be numerically correct and dimensionally correct.