Simple Cut: Externalizing Forces in Structures

This lecture covers the concept of simple cuts in structures, where removing a single link externalizes the force to be calculated. Through examples and virtual trips, students learn to calculate reaction forces and avoid turning structures into mechanisms. The instructor demonstrates the use of the theorem of virtual displacements to find reaction forces in isostatic structures and warns against hyperstaticity. By introducing degrees of freedom and analyzing equilibrium equations, students determine the degree of hyperstaticity in structures.