Dr Seán Carroll

In this tutorial, we’ll cover free body diagrams and how to use them to evaluate the forces acting on a structure in equilibrium. A free body diagram is a diagram in which only the forces imposed on an object are shown. Free body diagrams are a simple tool to help us identify all of the forces that influence an object or structure. Typically, one of the first steps in analysing a structure is to sketch out its free body diagram, identifying all of the forces that must be considered in the analysis.

Welcome to the Fundamental Engineering Mechanics tutorial series. This is part one in a multi-part series aimed at anyone just starting out in the study of engineering. In this tutorial, we’ll start from the very beginning and discuss forces, moments or torques generated by forces and how to evaluate systems of forces and moments. Once you complete this tutorial and all of the worked examples, you’ll be well prepared for the analysis of simple structures in later tutorials in the series.