What is Centre of Mass?
The center of mass (COM) is a theoretical point within an object or system of objects where the entire mass of the object or system can be considered to be concentrated. It is a point that represents the average position of all the mass in the object or system, taking into account both the distribution of mass and its spatial arrangement.
Centre of Mass Definition
The point at which the whole mass of the body seems to be concentrated is called Centre of Mass. It means the point from which we can support the object from below.
For example, a stick can be supported from a middle point such that it does not fall down. Similarly, every object has a similar point which is called the Centre of mass. Its position is defined relative to an object or the system of objects whose Centre of mass is to be calculated. Usually for uniform shapes, it’s their centroid. Let’s start with simple shapes and see where their Centre of masses are located. Consider the shapes given in the figure below. It’s easy to guess the Centre of masses for the following shapes. For most of them, the Centre of mass is at their centroid. The centre of mass of the ring and disc is shown below:
The centre of mass of the rectangle, square and triangular sheet is shown below:
Note: As for a ring, its Centre of mass lies inside the ring, which means it is necessary that the Centre of mass of a body lies in the body itself.
Centre of Mass
Centre of Mass is the point of anybody where all the mass of the body is concentrated. For the sake of convenience in Newtonian Physics, we take the body as the point object where all its mass is concentrated at the centre of mass of the body. The centre of mass of the body is a point that can be on the body such as in the case of a Circular sheet, rectangle sheet, sphere, etc, and can also be outside the body such as in the case of a ring, hollow sphere, etc.
In this article, we’ll explore the basic fundamentals of the centre of mass, including its definition, methods, and formula to calculate it. We’ll also discuss some real-world examples of the centre of mass to help you see its practical applications. So, let’s start learning about the fascinating world of the centre of mass and its role in the physics of motion.