Question

The moment of a force of 10N about a fixed point O is 5N m. Calculate the distance of the point O from the line of action of the force.
(A) 5m
(B) 1m
(C) 50m
(D) 0.5m

Answer 1

Hint : The measure of turning effect of the force is known as torque. The force which acts on the body of the torque is known as the moment of force. Torque acts around the action of line. We can use the formula of moment of formula which is equal to the product of the force and the distance from the line of action.

Complete Step by step solution:
Given that moment of force is 5 N-m about a point O when we apply a force of 10 N. We know that moment of force is given by formula
$
   \Rightarrow {\text{r}} \times {\text{F}}
   \Rightarrow {\text{5 = r}} \times {\text{10}}
   \Rightarrow {\text{r = 0}}{\text{.5m}}
 $

Hence, we apply a force at a perpendicular distance of 0.5 m.

Additional information: Moment of force is defined as the turning effect of the force applied on a rotational system at a distance from the axis of rotation. The moment is equal to the magnitude of the force multiplied by the vertical distance between its line of action and the axis of rotation. The intersection of the plane and the axis is usually called the moment center, and the perpendicular distance from the moment center to the line of action of the force is called the moment hand.
There are cases in which the force moments are easier to calculate than those around a fixed point, as much as the force moments are to be calculated. It may be that determining the distance perpendicular to the force is more difficult than determining the distance perpendicular to the components of the force. The moment of multiple forces about a point is simply the algebraic sum of their component moments about a single point

Note: A moment can also be considered as the result of outputting forces from a straight line between the loading point of a system and its support. In this case, the blue force is a trivial force. To reach it at the base of the column, it must make a square path with the beam. The more detour, the more moments. The most efficient structural system has the least amount of potential.