A
couple
consists of two parallel forces equal in magnitude and of opposite
sense with the lines of actions offset.
The moment of a force measures its tendency to cause a body to rotate about a specific point or axis. A moment arises when a force does not have an equal and opposite force along its line of action. The moment of a couple is given by the product of the distance between the forces and the magnitude of one of the forces,
Some examples of couples
There is no resultant
force, but a resultant moment. Therefore a couple
can be represented as a pure moment. The moment of a force measures its tendency to cause a body to rotate about a specific point or axis. A moment arises when a force does not have an equal and opposite force along its line of action. The moment of a couple is given by the product of the distance between the forces and the magnitude of one of the forces,