Example 2: Replace the force system shown by an equivalent resultant force, and specify its point of application along the beam.

Solution: This example is based on a modification of the previous example in that the individual forces acting on the rigid body have simply been shuffled around while maintaining the same magnitudes as before. What should we expect to happen in this case? Since we have not changed the direction of any of the forces, and have kept the values the same, the resultant force will still have the same magnitude as in the previous example.

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Hence, the resultant force has a magnitude of 1,250 N and is directed vertically down, as was expected.

The location of the resultant force is found through the equivalency of moments as

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The resultant force is acting at 5.16 m to the right of point A. We realize that by altering the force distribution we have changed the location of the resultant force.