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Motion of Centre of Mass Motion of the Center of Mass: Let us take the motion of a object of n particles of individual masses m1, m2, ., mn and net mass M. It is assumed that no mass enters or leaves the object during its motion, so that M remains fixed. Then, as we have seen, we have the relation
m1 r1 m2 r2 ...... mn rn m1 r1 m2 r2 ...... mn rn r CM m1 m2 ....... mn M

Or

Mr CM m1 r 1 m2 r 2 ...... mn

Differentiating this expression with related to time t, we have

dr CM dr 1 dr 2 dr n M m1 m2 ..... mn dt dt dt dt dr Since, velocity dt

Therefore,

Mv CM m1 v1 m2 v 2 ..... mn v n

(i)

Or velocity of the Center of Mass is

m1 v1 m2 v 2 ..... mn v n v CM M
v CM

Or

m v
i 1 i

Further, mv momentum of a particle P . Therefore, Eq. (i) can be written as

PCM P1 P 2 ..... Pn

Or

n PCM Pi i 1

Differentiating Eq. (i) with related to time t, we get

dv CM dv 1 dv 2 dv n M m1 m2 ...... m n dt dt dt dt

Or

MaCM m1a1 m2 a2 ...... mn an

(ii)

Or

m1 a1 m2 a 2 ..... mn an aCM M
aCM

Or

i 1

m1 a1 M

Further, in accordance with Newtons second law of motion F m a . Hence, Eq. (ii) can be written as
FCM F1 F2 ..... Fn

Or

n FCM Fi i 1

Thus, as noticed out earlier also, the centre of mass of a object of particles moves as though it were a particle of mass same to that of the entire system with all the external forces operating directly on it.