Center of Mass: Boat and regular pentagon

In summary: You can use the formula for the center of mass of a system of particles to find the overall center of mass.In summary, the first problem involves finding the distance the boat would move when a group of people walk from one end to the other, while the second problem involves finding the center of mass of a pentagon after removing a triangle.
  • #1
Fattyman
1
0
Six problems due Monday, and I have no idea what I'm doing on either of these.

Problem 1:

Homework Statement



A group of people has a total mass of 1500kg and are standing on one end of a 20,000kg boat. They walk 6.5m to the other end of the boat. How much does the boat move? The water is frictionless.

Homework Equations



rcom = (1/M)*[itex]\int[/itex](r)dm

The Attempt at a Solution



I really have no idea where to begin, let alone how to try to solve it.

Problem 2:

Homework Statement



A regular pentagon has sides of length a. Find the center of mass if you remove the triangle formed by the geometric center and the two vertices on the bottom of the pentagon.

Homework Equations



rcom = (1/M)[itex]\int[/itex](r)dm

The Attempt at a Solution



The book says to split the rest of the pentagon into four equal triangles, and I found the center of mass of the removed triangle. Since the five triangles that make up the pentagon are the same, their centers of mass should be the same distance from the geometric center of the pentagon, which I'm using as the origin.
Also, the book says the answer to this one is ".115a above the vertex of the removed triangle."
 
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  • #2
For the first question the center of mass of the boat and people must remain the same since there are no outside forces. So first of all find the center of mass with the people standing on one end then shift them over to the other end and find the center of mass again, the difference between the two is the distance the boat would have to move to keep the center of mass in the same spot.

For the second one you have four triangles and you know the center of mass of each one, so you essentially have just four point masses and you need to find the center of mass of those.
 

FAQ: Center of Mass: Boat and regular pentagon

1. What is the center of mass of a boat?

The center of mass of a boat is the point at which the boat's total mass can be considered to be concentrated. It is the average position of all the mass in the boat, taking into account the shape and distribution of the boat's mass.

2. How is the center of mass of a boat calculated?

The center of mass of a boat can be calculated by finding the weighted average of all the individual masses in the boat. This is done by multiplying the mass of each part of the boat by its distance from a chosen reference point, then dividing the sum of these products by the total mass of the boat.

3. What is the importance of the center of mass in a boat?

The center of mass is important in a boat because it affects the boat's stability and how it moves through the water. If the center of mass is too high or too far from the center of the boat, it can cause the boat to tip over or become unstable.

4. How does a regular pentagon's center of mass differ from other shapes?

A regular pentagon's center of mass is located at the intersection of its diagonals, which is different from other shapes. In most other shapes, the center of mass is located at the geometric center or the midpoint of the shape's longest axis.

5. Can the center of mass of a boat or regular pentagon change?

Yes, the center of mass of a boat or regular pentagon can change depending on the distribution of weight or the shape of the object. Adding or removing weight from certain parts of the boat or changing the shape of the pentagon can shift the center of mass.

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