Static Equilibrium - Coursework Example

Static equilibrium Static equilibrium con s the in which the particles of an object are at rest orstationary. Static equilibrium is when the sum total of the forces acting upon each individual particle is equivalent to zero (Herbert 133) An object is considered to be in equilibrium when the sum total amount of force acting upon it is balanced. This condition may not necessarily insinuate that the forces acting upon it are equal. Therefore, the total amount of force of the object is zero (0m/s/s).

Objects in a state of equilibrium have an acceleration of 0m/s/s, this emanates from the Newton’s law of motion. An object with zero acceleration does not imply that, it is at rest. Objects in equilibrium state are at rest and staying at rest or in momentum and continue to be in momentum with the same speed and direction. This concept also emanates from Newton’s first law of motion (Herbert 135)When an object is at a condition of rest and the forces acting upon its particles are balanced (Equilibrium) then such as situation is referred as static equilibrium.

The term static implies a stationary state or a condition of rest. The sum total amount of forces acting upon an object in equilibrium also known as the vector sum is equivalent to 0 Newton (Cathrine 1) Conditions required for an object to be considered to be in Static Equilibrium.An object has to be in a stationary state, the must also not be in a state of transitional acceleration as well as rotational acceleration. In addition, the vector total of all the external forces acting upon it must be zero: ∑ F = 0The sum of torque due to all external forces about an axis has to be zero: ∑ t = 0, whereby ∑ = sum, F = forces and t = torqueAn analysis of the sum total of the forces that impact on an object can be demonstrated by the diagram below.

B A C DSince this object is at equilibrium, the magnitude of the forces represented as Force A, Force B, Force C and Force D acting upon it are balanced. This also implies that the horizontal and the vertical forces sum up to 0 Newton.One method that can be used to measure and establish whether an object is in equilibrium or not is an instance where an object is tied and hanged on two strings attached to weighing scales simultaneously.

The diagram is indicated below; Scale 2 Scale 1 A The magnitude of the forces acting upon the object is shown by the measurement indicated on scale 1 and scale 2 as well as the magnitude of force A (Cathrine 3) An example of an object at a static equilibrium can also be demonstrated by a box that rests on the floor. The box is impacted on by two external forces at different directions that is, the gravitational force that pulls the box to the centre of the earth.

An equivalent force is also impacted by the floor on the box (pushes the box up) Work citedFossati, Eraldo, and George L. S. Shackle. The theory of general static equilibrium. [From] Italian ed. Oxford: Blackwell, 1957. Print.