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Centre of Mass: Synopsis

1. The centre of mass of a body is the point where the resultant force of gravity acts and can be found by treating the body as if all its mass were concentrated at that single point. 2. For a system of particles, the position of the centre of mass depends on the masses of the particles and their positions from the origin. 3. For symmetrical bodies where mass is distributed uniformly, the centre of mass coincides with the geometric center.

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61 views4 pages

Centre of Mass: Synopsis

1. The centre of mass of a body is the point where the resultant force of gravity acts and can be found by treating the body as if all its mass were concentrated at that single point. 2. For a system of particles, the position of the centre of mass depends on the masses of the particles and their positions from the origin. 3. For symmetrical bodies where mass is distributed uniformly, the centre of mass coincides with the geometric center.

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WillSmith
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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94

CENTRE OF MASS
Synopsis :
1. Every particle

is attracted towards the centre of the earth by the force of gravity and the centre
of gravity of a body is the point where the resultant force of attraction of the weight of the body
acts.
2. Centre of mass : If a system of parallel forces proportional to the masses of the various
particles of a body are assumed to act on it, their resultant passes through a fixed point,
irrespective of the direction of the parallel forces and that point is called centre of mass.
3. In a uniform gravitational field, the centre of mass of the body and the centre of gravity
coincide with each other.
4. For small bodies (compared to the size of the earth) the centre of gravity and the centre of mass
coincide.
5. If two particles of masses m1 and m2 are at distances x1 and x2 from the origin and xcm is the
position of the centre of mass of the system, then
12
1122
cm m m

mxmx
x
+
+
=
6. For a system of

two bodies of masses m1 and m2 separated by a distance d.


a) Centre of mass lies on the line joining the centers of mass of two bodies.
b) Distances of center of mass from first body r1 = 1 2
2

mm
mr
+.

c) Distances of center of mass from second body r2 = 1 2


1

mm
mr
+.

d) Centre of mass lies nearer to heavy mass.


7. If the position coordinates of particles of masses m1, m1, m1... are (x1, y1), (x2, y2), (x3,y3)...The
mass of the system is M. The position coordinates of the centre of mass are (x,y).
m m m ....
m x m x m x ...
x
123
112233

+++
++
=
=M
m1x1 + m2x2 + ...
m m m ...
m y m y m y ...
y

123
112233

+++
++
=
=M
m1y1 + m2y2 + ...
8. The distance of centre of mass from the origin is
x2 + y2 .
9. If the two masses are equal, the centre of mass lies midway between the particles.
10. When a large number of particles are distributed in space, the centre of mass of the

system is

given by the coordinates.


Centre of mass
95

=
=
=
=
=
=
=
n
i1
i
n
i1
ii
n cm
i1
i
n
i1
ii
n cm
i1
i
n
i1
ii

m
mz
;z
m
my
;y
m
mx
x cm
11. a) The

position of center of mass depends on the shape of the body and distribution of mass
b) In symmetrical bodies in which distribution of mass is homogeneous. Centre of mass
coincides with geometrical center.

c) Centre of mass of regular bodies.


1) Uniform rod : middle point of the rod
2) Cubical box: Point of intersection of diagonals
3) Circular ring : centre of the ring
4) circular disc : centre of the disc
5) Sphere : centre of the sphere
12. In vector notation, each particle of the system can be described by a position vector r

and the
centre of mass can be located by the position vector rcm

.
iiii
i
ii
cm z

k yj xi where r
m
rmr=++

=
cm cm cm cm z k yj xi r = + +
13. Velocity of the centre of mass Total mass
Total momentum
m
(v ) mV cm =

14. If two particles masses m1 and m2 are moving

with velocities v1and v2 at right angles to each


other, then the velocity of their centre of mass is given by
Vcm = (m m )
mvmv
12
22
22
2
1
2
1

+
+
15. The velocity of

centre of mass of an isolated system remains constant as long as no external


force acts on the system. Its acceleration is zero.
16. The momentum of centre of mass of the system is equal to the sum of individual momenta of
n
particles of the system.
17. If an external force is acting on the system of particles, centre of mass behaves as if total
force
is acting only at that point.
18. The centre of mass of the system is static under the action of internal forces.
19. When a body rotates, vibrates or moves linearly, the centre of mass moves in the same way as
a

single particle subjected to the same force.


Centre of mass
96
20. Acceleration of the centre of mass =

m
Fext

.
21. Characteristics of centre of mass :
i. The position of centre of mass depends upon the shape of the body and the distribution of mass.

ii. If the origin is at the centre of mass, then sum of moments of mass (mixi) of the system
about the centre of mass is zero.
iii. Centre of mass may be within the body or on or outside the material of the body.
iv. It is not necessary that mass should be present at centre of mass. In the case of uniform ring,
centre of mass is outside the material where no mass is present.
v. The location of the centre of mass is independent of the reference frame used to locate it.
vi. The centre of mass of a system of particles depends only on the masses of the particles and
their relative positions.
22. Laws of motion of the centre of mass :
i. The centre of mass of a system of particles moves as though total mass of the system is
concentrated at a point and external forces were applied at that point.
ii. The motion of the centre of mass of the body is called the translational motion of the body.
iii. The internal forces will not effect the motion of the centre of mass.
iv. If no external force acts on a system, the acceleration of centre of mass is zero, the velocity
and momentum of the centre of mass remains constant, though velocity and momentum of
individual particles vary.
v. The motion of the centre of mass can be studied using Newton's laws of motion.
Centre of mass
97
23. When two solid spheres of same materials but with radii r1 and r2 are
kept in contact, the center of mass of the system is at a distance of x
from the center of bigger sphere, where
x=3
2
3
1
12
3
2

rr
r (r r )
+
+

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