Method of Joints Worksheet

Now that we have done the calculations, is member AH in tension orcompression? ___________________What about member AB? __________________________________Our final answer should indicate whether the members are in tension orcompression.F AB = 6.4 N (C)F AH = 4.0 N (T)Now lets move on to Joint H and determine what direction the force F AH ispointing.F AHA HF AHHFrom this, we can see that the force from member AH should be pointing to theleft at pin H.The free-body diagram for Joint H is shown next.F BHGH AHFxF AH H F GHFree-body Diagram atJoint H F F Fy F GH =FBHF BH =Is F GH in tension or compression? __________________At joint H, we notice that F BH equals 0 N. This is called a zero-force member.Zero-force members are important in trusses for several reasons.