2D Free-Body Diagrams (FBDs)
Conceptual Questions: Drawing FBD’s

Draw the FBD of member ABC. On the FBD of member ABC, how many reaction forces (excluding moments) will there be at supports A and C?
On the FBD of member ABC, how many couple moments will there be at supports A and C?
Draw the FBD’s of members AB and BC. When member AB is “freed” from its supports, how many total forces (including F1) will there be on the FBD?
What external forces will there be at supports A and B?
How many moments will there be on the FBD of AB?
When member BC is “freed” from its supports, how many total forces (including F2) will there be on the FBD?
On the FBD of BC, what external forces will there be at the roller support at C?
How many moments will there be on the FBD of BC?
Use the Figure to Analyze the FBD of each Member
Click and drag the red dot at A to reveal its support reactions on member AB. Why are there two force reactions, in the x and y axes, at the fixed support at A?
Why is there a couple moment at the fixed support at A?
Click and drag the red dot at C to reveal its support reactions on the beam. Why is there only one vertical force, Cy at the roller support at C?
Isolate member BC to see its FBD. As the angle of F2increases from 0o to 90o, what happens to the magnitude of Bx?
If its magnitude stays the same, for what angle of F2 does the magnitudes of By and Cy reach a maximum?
If F2 = 400 N at an angle of 90o, then in terms of F2, By is equal to?
Isolate member AB to see its FBD. For member AB, moment Ma reaches a maximum when force F1 is at which angle?
Using FBD’s to write Equations of Equilibrium
Using the above coordinates and with F1 and F2 at 60o, which is the correct equilibrium equation in the y direction Fy for member BC?
Using the above coordinates and with F1 and F2 at 60o, which is the correct equilibrium equation in the x direction Fx for member BC?
Using the above coordinates and with F1 and F2 at 75o, which is the correct equilibrium equation in the y direction Fy for member AB?
Using the above coordinates and with F1 and F2 at 75o, which is the correct equilibrium equation in the x direction Fx for member AB?
For the FBD of AB and with F1 at 75o, which expression for the sum of moments about A, Ma is correct?