Previous Year Questions: Statics

(2008-23)

Equilibrium of System of Particles

1. A solid right circular cone whose height is h and radius of whose base is r, is placed on an
inclined plane and it is prevented from sliding. If the inclination  of the plane (to the horizontal)
be gradually increased, find when the cone will topple over. For a cone whose semi- vertical
angle is 30°, determine the circular value of  which when exceeded, the cone will topple over.
2. A ladder of weight 10 kg rests on a smooth horizontal ground leaning against a smooth vertical
wall at an inclination tan 2 with the horizontal and is prevented from slipping by a string
attached at it’s lower end and to the junction of the floor and the wall. A body of weight 30 kg
begins to ascend the ladder. If the string can bear a tension of 10 kg-wt, how far along the
ladder can the boy rise with safety?
3. A uniform rod 𝐴𝐵 is movable about a hinge at 𝐴 and rests with one end in contact with a smooth
vertical wall. If the rod is inclined at an angle of 30° with the horizontal, find the reaction at
the hinge in magnitude and direction.
4. A ladder of weight W rests with one end against a smooth vertical wall and the other end rest
on a smooth floor. If the inclination of the ladder to the horizon is 60°, find the horizontal force
that they must be applied to the lower end to prevent the ladder from slipping down.
5. Two equal ladders of weight 4kg each are placed so as to lean at A against each other with their
end resting on a rough floor, given the coefficient of friction is 𝜇. The ladders at A make an
angle 60° with each other. find what weight on the top would cause them to slip.
6. A uniform rod 𝐴𝐵 of length 2𝑎 movable about a hinge at 𝐴 rests with other end against a smooth
vertical wall. If 𝛼 is the inclination of the rod to the vertical, prove that the magnitude of reaction

of the hinge is 𝑊√4 + tan 𝛼 where 𝑊 is the weight of the rod.

7. A beam AD rests on two supports B and C, where 𝐴𝐵 = 𝐵𝐶 = 𝐶𝐷 . It is found that the beam will
tilt when a weight of p kg is hung from A or when a weight of q kg is hung from D. Find the
weight of the beam.

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By Avinash Singh, Ex IES, B.Tech IIT Roorkee
8. A uniform rod, in vertical position, can turn freely about one of its ends and is pulled aside
from the vertical by a horizontal force acting at the other end of the rod and equal to half its
weight. At what inclination to the vertical will the rod rest?
9. Two weights 𝑃 and 𝑄 are suspended from a fixed point 𝑂 by strings 𝑂𝐴, 𝑂𝐵 and are kept apart
by a light rod 𝐴𝐵. If the strings 𝑂𝐴 and 𝑂𝐵 make angles 𝛼 and 𝛽 with the rod 𝐴𝐵 show that the

angle 𝜃 which the rod makes with the vertical is given by tan 𝜃 =

10. A square 𝐴𝐵𝐶𝐷, the length of whose side is a, is fixed in a vertical plane with two of its sides
horizontal. An endless string of length 𝑙(> 4𝑎) passes over four pegs at the angle of the board
and through a ring of weight 𝑊 which is hanging vertically. Show that the tension of the string
( )
is .
√

11. A rod of 8kg is movable in a vertical plane about a hinge at one end, another end is fastened a
weight equal to half of the rod, this end is fastened by a string of length 𝑙 to a point at a height
b above the hinge vertically. Obtain the tension in the string.
12. Two rods LM and MN are joined rigidly at the point M such that (𝐿𝑀) + (𝑀𝑁) = (𝐿𝑁) and they
are hanged freely in equilibrium from a fixed point L. let 𝜔 be the weight per unit of length of
both the rods which are uniform. Determine the angle, which the rod LM makes with the
vertical direction, in terms of lengths of the rods. (10)
13. A heavy string, which is not of uniform density, is hung up from two points. Let 𝑇 , 𝑇 , 𝑇 be the
tensions at the intermediate points 𝐴, 𝐵, 𝐶 of the catenary respectively where its inclinations to
the horizontal are in arithmetic progressions with common difference 𝛽. Let 𝜔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝜔 be the
weights of the parts AB and BC of the string respectively. Prove that

a. Harmonic mean of 𝑇 , 𝑇 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑇 =

b. =

(20)

14. A cylinder of radius ‘a’ touches a vertical wall along a generating line. Axis of the cylinder is
fixed horizontally. A uniform flat beam of length ‘l’ and weight ‘W’ rests with its extremities in
contact with the wall and the cylinder, making an angle of 45° with the vertical. If frictional
√
forces are neglected, then show that = . Also find the reactions of the cylinder and wall.
√

(10, 2023)

Virtual Work

1. Solid hemisphere is supported by a string fixed to point on its rim and to a point on a
smooth vertical wall with which the curved surface of the hemisphere is in contact. If 𝜃 and

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By Avinash Singh, Ex IES, B.Tech IIT Roorkee
 𝜙 are the inclination of the string and the plane base of the hemisphere to the vertical, prove
by using the principal of virtual work that
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𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝜙 = + 𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝜃
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2. Six equal rods AB, BC, CD, DE, EF and FA are each of weight w and are freely jointed at
their extremities so as to from a hexagon; the rod AB is fixed in a horizontal position and
the middle points of AB and DE are joined by a string. Find the tension in the string.
3. A regular pentagon ABCDE, formed of equal heavy uniform bars jointed together is
suspended from the joint A, and is maintained in from by a light road joining the middle
points of BC and DE. Find the stress in this rod.
4. Two equal uniform rods AB and AC, each of length 𝑙 are freely jointed at A and rest on a
smooth fixed vertical circle of radius 𝑟. If 2𝜃 is the angle between the roads, then find the
relation between 𝑙, 𝑟 and 𝜃 by using the principal of virtual work.
5. A square framework formed of uniform heavy rods of equal weight W jointed together, is
hung up by one corner. A weight W is suspended from each of the three lower corners, and
the shape of the square is preserved by a light rod along the horizontal diagonal. Find the
thrust of the light rod.
6. A chain of n equal uniform rods is smoothly jointed together and suspended from its one
end 𝐴 . A horizontal force 𝑃⃗ is applied to the other end 𝐴 of the chain. Find the
inclinations of the rod to the downward vertical line in the equilibrium configuration. (15,
2022)
7. Solid hemisphere is supported by a string fixed to a point on its rim and to a point on a
smooth vertical wall with which the curved surface of the hemisphere is in contact. If 𝜃 is
the angle of inclination of the string with the vertical and 𝜙 is the angle of inclination of the
plane base of the hemisphere to the vertical, then find the value of (𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝜙 − 𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝜃). (15,
2023)

Common Catenary

1. The end links of a uniform chain slide along a fixed rough horizontal rod. Prove that the

ratio of the maximum span to the length of the chain is 𝜇 𝑙𝑜𝑔 where 𝜇 the coefficient

of friction is.
2. Find the length of an endless chain which will hang over a circular pulley of radius a so as
to be in contact with two third of the circumference of the pulley.
3. A cable of weight w per unit length and length 2l hangs from two points P and Q in the

same horizontal line. Show that the span of the cable is 2𝑙 1 − , where h is the sag in

the middle of the tightly stretched position. (20, 2022)

1. A heavy hemispherical shell of radius 𝑎 has a particle attached to a point on the rim, and
rests with the curved surface in contact with a rough sphere of radius b at the highest point.

Prove that if > √5 − 1 the equilibrium is stable, whatever be the weight of the particle.

2. A body consists of a cone and underlying hemisphere. The base of the cone and the top of
the hemisphere, have same radius 𝑎. The whole-body rests on a rough horizontal table with
hemisphere in contact with the table. Show that the greatest height of the cone, so that the
equilibrium may be stable, is √3𝑎.
3. A uniform solid hemisphere rests on a rough plane, inclined to the horizon at an angle 𝜙,
with its curve surface touching the plane. Find the greatest admissible value of the
inclination 𝜙 for equilibrium. If 𝜙 be less than this value, is the equilibrium stable?
4. Suppose a cylinder of any cross section is balanced on another fixed cylinder, the contact
of curved surface being rough and the common tangent line horizontal. Let 𝜌 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝜌′ be radii
of curvature of the two cylinders at the point of contact and h be the height of centre of
gravity of the upper cylinder above the point of contact. Show that the upper cylinder is

balanced in stable equilibrium if ℎ < . (15, 2022)

Friction

1. One end of a heavy uniform rod 𝐴𝐵 can slide along a rough horizontal rod 𝐴𝐶, to which it is
attached by a ring. 𝐵 and 𝐶 are joined by a string. When the rod is on the point of sliding,
then 𝐴𝐶 − 𝐴𝐵 = 𝐵𝐶 . If 𝜃 is the angle between 𝐴𝐵 and the horizontal line, then prove

that the coefficient of friction is .

2. A straight uniform beam of length '2ℎ' rests in limiting equilibrium in contact with a rough
vertical wall of height 'ℎ' with one end on a rough horizontal plane and with the other end
projecting beyond the wall. If both the wall and the plane be equally rough, prove that '𝜆'
the angle of friction, is given by 𝑠𝑖𝑛 2𝜆 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝛼 𝑠𝑖𝑛 2𝛼, '𝛼' being the inclination of the beam to
the horizon.
3. A uniform ladder of weight W rests at an angle of 45° with the horizontal with its upper
extremity against a rough vertical wall and its lower extremity on the ground. If 𝜇 and 𝜇′ are
the coefficients of limiting friction between the ladder and the ground and wall respectively,
then find the minimum horizontal force required to move the lower end of the ladder towards
the wall.

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By Avinash Singh, Ex IES, B.Tech IIT Roorkee
 4. The base of an inclined plane is 4 metres in length and the height is 3 metres. A force of
8kg acting parallel to the plane will just prevent a weight of 20 kg from sliding down. Find
the coefficient of friction between the plane and the weight.

Equilibrium of Forces in Three Dimensions

1. On a rigid body the forces 10 𝚤̂ + 2𝚥̂ + 2𝑘 𝑁, 5 −2𝚤̂ − 𝚥̂ + 2𝑘 𝑁 𝑎𝑛𝑑 6 2𝚤̂ + 2𝚥̂ − 𝑘 𝑁 are acting at
points with position vector 𝚤̂ − 𝚥̂, 2𝚤̂ + 5𝑘 , and 4𝚤̂ − 𝑘 respectively. Reduce this system to a
single force 𝑅⃗ acting at the point 4𝚤̂ + 2𝚥̂ together with a couple 𝐺⃗ whose axis passes through
this point. Does the point 4𝚤̂ + 2𝚥̂ lie on the central axis.

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By Avinash Singh, Ex IES, B.Tech IIT Roorkee