CHAPTER TWO - The General Plane Motion of a Rigid Body

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the general plane motion of a rigid body. It discusses the meaning of the general torque equation for plane motion. A system of plane forces acting on a rigid body are equivalent to a single force equal to the resultant of the system of forces and applied through the center of mass of the body, thus, giving the body a pure translation and to a couple whose magnitude is equal to the product of the resultant force and the distance of its line of action from an axis through the center of mass, thus, giving the body a rotation round this axis. In general, a system of external forces applied to a rigid body will give the center of mass the same acceleration which they would give it if their resultant passed through the center of mass and, in addition, give the body an angular acceleration round the center of mass.