Centre of gravity of this system of particles

In summary, to find the centre of gravity of a system of particles, you can take a "weighted" average of the components. In this case, the x-coordinate of the center of mass is 23.33 and the y-coordinate is -6.22, with the minus sign indicating that the centre is below the axis.
  • #1
pinnacleprouk
26
0

Homework Statement



Find the centre of gravity of this system of particles

Homework Equations



attached image showing diagram

http://www.zshare.net/image/7209360586277b98/

The Attempt at a Solution



Taking moments about a, 4*0+6*30 = 184 then not sure

Any help is greatly appreciated

Thanks in advance
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Don't worry about moments- take a "weighted" average of the components. Taking the 4 kg mass on the left to be at (0, 0), the 6 kg mass is at (30, 0) and the 8 kg mass at (30, -14). The x-coordinate of the center of mass will be at
[tex]\frac{4(0)+ 6(30)+ 8(30)}{4+ 6+ 8}[/tex]
and the y-coordinate will be
[tex]\frac{4(0)+ 6(0)+ 8(-14)}{4+ 6+ 8}[/tex]
 
  • #3
Thanks for the reply, ok so I get 23.33 for x and -6.22 for y,

Providing I have calculated the sums correctly,
the minus is throwing me off in locating the centre?

Thanks again!
 

Related to Centre of gravity of this system of particles

1. What is the definition of center of gravity?

The center of gravity is the point at which the entire weight of an object or system can be considered to be concentrated, and the object or system will remain in equilibrium when suspended from that point.

2. How is the center of gravity calculated for a system of particles?

The center of gravity for a system of particles is calculated by taking the sum of the products of the mass of each particle and its distance from a chosen reference point, divided by the total mass of the system.

3. Does the center of gravity always coincide with the geometric center of an object?

No, the center of gravity does not always coincide with the geometric center of an object. It depends on the distribution of mass within the object. For irregularly shaped objects, the center of gravity may be located at a different point.

4. How does the center of gravity affect the stability of an object?

The center of gravity is a key factor in determining the stability of an object. An object with a low center of gravity is generally more stable than an object with a high center of gravity. This is because a lower center of gravity means that the object is less likely to topple over.

5. How does the center of gravity change when additional particles are added to a system?

The center of gravity of a system will change when additional particles are added, as it is dependent on the distribution of mass within the system. The center of gravity may shift closer to the added particles, especially if they have a greater mass than the existing particles in the system.

Similar threads

  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
5
Views
1K
  • Other Physics Topics
Replies
4
Views
790
  • Precalculus Mathematics Homework Help
Replies
14
Views
3K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
7
Views
1K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
12
Views
2K
  • Precalculus Mathematics Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
670
  • Precalculus Mathematics Homework Help
Replies
21
Views
990
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
13
Views
1K
  • Precalculus Mathematics Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • Precalculus Mathematics Homework Help
Replies
5
Views
1K
Back
Top