4/28/2017 CenterofMass

TheCenterofMass
ofaSystemofParticles(AP)

CenterofMassinOneDimension
Theanimationatrightwillhopefullyconvinceyouthatthecenterofmassofasystemof
nparticles(ofconstantmass)isgivenby:

wherexcmisthepositionofthecenterofmass,m1isthemassofthefirstparticle,x1is
thepositionofthefirstparticle,etc.

VelocityoftheCenterofMass
Startingwiththecenterofmassequation,itiseasytoshowthatthevelocityofthecenterofmassofasystemofnparticles,vcm,is:

wherev1isthevelocityofthefirstparticle,v2isthevelocityofthesecondparticle,etc.,andMisthetotalmassofthesystem.

Asidefrombeingveryhandywhendealingwithbothinelasticandelasticcollisions,whatisthisequationtryingtotellus?Rearangingthelastresult
gives:

Ontherightsideofthisequation,m1v1isthemomentumofparticle1,m2v2isthemomentumofparticle2,etc.,sotherightsideoftheequationis
thetotalmomentumofthesystemofparticles.Lookingattheleftsideoftheequation,Mvcmwouldbethemomentumofthecenterofmassofthe
systemifweassumethatallofthemassofthesystemislocatedatthesystem'scenterofmass.Inotherwords,theequationsabovearesayingthat:
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4/28/2017 CenterofMass

1.Thetotalmomentumofthesystemequalsthetotalmassofthesystemtimesthevelocityofthesystem'scenterofmass(Mvcm).
2.Thesystembehavesasifallofitsmasswerelocatedatthesystem'scenterofmass.

AccelerationoftheCenterofMass
Inthesameway,wecanderiveanequationfortheaccelerationofthecenterofmass,acm:

whereacmistheaccelerationofthecenterofmassofthesystem,anda1istheaccelerationofparticle1,etc.Doesthisequationhaveanythingtosay?
Well,multiplyingbothsidesbyMgives:

Now,m1a1isthenetforceonparticle1(Newton'sSecondLaw),m2a2isthenetforceonparticle2,etc.,sotherightsideisthenetforceonthe
systemofnparticles.Theleftsideoftheequationisthenetforceonthecenterofmassofthesystemifallofthemassofthesystemislocatedatthe
system'scenterofmass.So,

1.Thenet(external)forceonasystemofparticlesequalsthemassofthesystemtimestheaccelerationofthesystem'scenterofmass.(Newton's
SecondLawappliedtothecenterofmass).
2.Ifthenet(external)forceonasystemofparticlesiszero,thecenterofmassofthesystemwillnotaccelerate(Newton'sFirstLawappliedto
thecenterofmass.
3.Thesystembehavesasifallofitsmasswerelocatedatthesystem'scenterofmass.

lastupdateFebruary5,2010byJLStanbrough

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