Statics

Statics is the branch of mechanics that analyzes forces and moments on bodies in equilibrium, where acceleration is zero.

Newton's laws of motion: Three laws relating an object's motion to the forces acting on it. Statics applies Newton's laws when zero acceleration makes the net force zero.
Vector (mathematics and physics): A quantity with magnitude and direction, represented mathematically by components. Forces and moments are resolved into vector components for equilibrium calculations.
Structural analysis: The calculation of forces, deformations, and stability in load-bearing structures. Statics supplies internal forces and support reactions for structures under fixed loads.
Dynamics (mechanics): The branch of mechanics that studies motion and its causes. Dynamics allows acceleration, unlike the zero-acceleration condition used in statics.
Force: An interaction that can change an object's motion or deform it. Force balance is the condition that prevents translational acceleration.
Rigid body: An idealized body whose internal distances remain fixed under applied forces. Many statics problems treat objects as rigid to focus on overall force and moment balance.
Beam (structure): A structural member that carries loads primarily through bending and shear. Beam equilibrium determines support reactions and internal force distributions.
Kinematics: The description of motion without considering the forces that cause it. Statics focuses on forces in equilibrium rather than describing motion.
Moment (physics): The turning effect of a force about a point or axis, calculated from force and perpendicular distance. Moment balance prevents bodies from rotating despite applied forces.
Center of mass: The mass-weighted average position of a body's matter, which moves as though mass were concentrated there under uniform gravity. A body's weight acts through its center of mass in ordinary gravitational statics.

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