Center of Mass PDF

Unit 8: Momentum and Collisions
midway through as shown in Fig. 8.1.1.
Fig. 8.1.1. Balancing Experiment
3. Try to move the toothpick at different points over the edge of the glass until the fork
and spoon are balanced.
4. Answer the guide questions that follow.
Guide Questions
1. How would you characterize the arrangement of the spoon, fork, and matchstick at
their balancing point?
2. What made the seemingly improbable balancing trick of the setup possible?
3. What can you conclude about the stability of the system in relation to the experiment
you have conducted?
Learn about It!

Newton’s Second Law permits us to predict the motion of a given reference point of an
extended object (or one that has a rigid body, with specific dimensions). We call this point
of reference as the center of mass, into which the system’s total mass is concentrated
8.1. Center of Mass 3

when the system experiences external forces.
What is referred to as the system’s center of mass?
The Centroid and the Center of Mass

The center of mass is a point or position that varies according to the composition,
arrangement, or movement of an object or system. Determining the center of mass for rigid
objects such as circles, triangles, and rectangles is relatively simple: it is the midpoint of the
system with respect to its uniform density, i.e., the average position relative to the masses
of the system’s parts when weighted as a whole.
Fig. 8.1.2. Centroids in 2-D objects
The dot in the middle of each shape in Fig. 8.1.2 is also called the geometric center of the
plane or, simply, centroid. It is defined as the arithmetic average of all the points in a
plane.

Fig. 8.1.3. Geometric centers of some symmetrical objects
The center of mass and the geometric center (centroid) are essentially synonymous for rigid
homogeneous objects, or those with uniform density, such as the symmetrical objects in
Fig. 8.1.3. For a system with a more complicated geometry, the center of mass and the
centroid are not always similar. A more befitting and encompassing definition of the center
of mass can, therefore, be given. The center of mass (measured in meters) is a distinct
point in an object or system distinguished as the average of the individual masses factored
by their distances from the point of reference. It is the average mass-weighted position of
the particles in the system.
Remember
Whereas the center of mass and the centroid, or geometric center,
may be found on the same point, the centroid (geometric center) is
simply determined by the shape of the object.
Did You Know?

The center of mass does not always have to be found at any physical
point on or within the object. For instance, in the case of a
toroid/torus, or a doughnut-shaped geometry (shown below), both
the centroid and the center of mass are found right at the center of
the empty space in the middle. In this case, the center of mass lies in

the object’s axis of symmetry.
What is the difference between a geometric center

and a system’s center of mass?
Calculating the Center of Mass

Think of a given system as a collection of particles with respective masses m1, m2, m3…, with
the coordinates of m1 as (x1,y1), and so on. The system’s center of mass is the point with
coordinates (xcm, ycm) and is determined as follows:
The position of the center of mass may be identified as the vector , and is given by:

Equation 8.1.1
where
is the position vector of the center of mass of a system of particles;

is the position vector of each particle; and
m is the mass of each particle.
Remember
The terms center of gravity and center of mass are oftentimes
interchanged since they are usually located at a similar point,
provided the gravitational field is considered uniform. Note,
however, that the center of gravity is a point in which the
gravitational force acts upon the system, whereas the center of
mass is a point in which the mass distribution is equal throughout,
and is not affected by the gravitational field.
Did You Know?

The center of mass is a very useful concept in determining an
object’s toppling stability, or the tilting angle that it can
accommodate before completely toppling over. Take, for instance,
the truck below with an unbalanced load of blocks inside. The red
dot signifies the center of mass, and the dotted red lines represent
the gravitational force acting on the truck’s weight along that line.
The photo on the right is the truck-load system’s “topple limit”.
Increase the angle a little more and the truck will fall off.

Let’s Practice!
Example 1
A hanging light fixture contains four strings of lights, as follows: (1) a 0.33 kg light at 0.001 m,
(2) a 0.45-kg light at 0.02 m, (3) a 0.77 kg light at 0.08 m, and (4) a 0.90-kg light at 1.1 m.
Determine the hanging light fixture’s center of mass.
Solution
Step 1: Identify what is required in the problem.
You are asked to solve for the object’s center of mass.
Step 2: Identify the given in the problem.

The masses of the lights, 0.33 kg, 0.45 kg, 0.77 kg, and 0.90 kg, and their positions,
0.001 m, 0.02 m, 0.08 m, and 1.1 m, respectively, are given.
Step 3: Write the working equation.
Step 4: Substitute the given values.

Step 5: Find the answer.
The center of mass of the hanging light fixture is located at position 0.43 m along the
x-axis.
1 Try It!
For the hanging light fixture above, let m1 = 0.005 kg, m2 = 0.37 kg, m3 = 0.94 kg, m4 =
0.97 kg, x1 = 0.03 m, x2 = 0.21 m, x3 = 0.76 m, and x4 = 0.12 m. Determine the system’s
center of mass.
Example 2
A system containing two particles has a center of mass along the horizontal axis at x = 3.5 m.
If the first particle is at 0 m from the origin and the second particle has a mass of 0.44 kg at x
= 12.0 m, what is the mass of the first particle?
Solution
You are asked to calculate the mass of the first particle.

The center of mass, 3.5 m, the positions of the two particles along the x, 0 m and
12.0 m, respectively, and the mass of the second particle, 0.44 kg are given.
Derive m1 from the general equation , as follows:

Step 4: Substitute the given values.
Step 5: Find the answer.
The mass of the first particle is 1.07 kg.
2 Try It!
Another system containing two particles has a center of mass along the horizontal
axis at x = 5.67 m. If the first particle is at 0 m from the origin and the second particle
has a mass of 1.35 kg at x = 17.65 m, what is the mass of the first particle?
Example 3
Three irregular blocks contain the following masses and C-M coordinates: (1) 0.56 kg (0.25
m, .45 m); (2) 0.67 kg (.15 m, -0.37 m); and (3) .86 kg (-0.21 m, 0.77 m). Identify the
coordinates of the center of mass of the three-block system.
Solution
You are asked to identify the coordinates of the center of mass of the three-block
system.

The masses of the three blocks, 0.56 kg, 0.67 kg, and .86 kg; and the respective
positions of the blocks (0.25 m, .45 m), (.15 m, -0.37 m), and (-0.21 m, .77 m) are
given.

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Unit 8: Momentum and Collisions

midway through as shown in Fig. 8.1.1.

Fig. 8.1.1. Balancing Experiment

Learn about It!

8.1. Center of Mass 3

when the system experiences external forces.

What is referred to as the system’s center of mass?

The Centroid and the Center of Mass

Fig. 8.1.2. Centroids in 2-D objects

8.1. Center of Mass 4

Fig. 8.1.3. Geometric centers of some symmetrical objects

Did You Know?

8.1. Center of Mass 5

the object’s axis of symmetry.

What is the difference between a geometric center

Calculating the Center of Mass

8.1. Center of Mass 6

is the position vector of the center of mass of a system of particles;

Did You Know?

8.1. Center of Mass 7

Step 2: Identify the given in the problem.

Step 3: Write the working equation.

Step 4: Substitute the given values.

8.1. Center of Mass 8

Step 5: Find the answer.

Step 2: Identify the given in the problem.

Step 3: Write the working equation.

Derive m1 from the general equation , as follows:

8.1. Center of Mass 9

Step 4: Substitute the given values.

Step 5: Find the answer.

The mass of the ﬁrst particle is 1.07 kg.

Step 2: Identify the given in the problem.

Step 3: Write the working equation.

8.1. Center of Mass 10

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