Chapter 8 Systems of Particles and Conservation of Momentum

ycm = [(3 × 2 + 1 × 1 + 1 × 0)/5] m = 1.4 m

8 · By symmetry, locate the center of mass of an equilateral triangle of side length a with one vertex on the y axis
and the others at (-a/2, 0) and (+a/2, 0).

1. Draw the triangle; assume vertex at y > 0

2. Locate the intersection of the bisectors; see sketch

3. Give the coordinates of CM xcm = 0; ycm = 1/2a tan 30o = 0.289a

9* ·· The uniform sheet of plywood in Figure 8-49 has a mass of 20 kg. Find its center of mass. We shall consider this
as two sheets, a square sheet of 3 m side length and mass m1 and a rectangular sheet 1m × 2m with a mass of -m2.
Let coordinate origin be at lower left hand corner of the sheet. Let σ be the surface density of the sheet.
1. Find xcm(m1), ycm(m1) and xcm(m2), ycm(m2) By symmetry, xcm(m1) = 1.5 m, ycm(m1) = 1.5 m
and xcm(m2) = 1.5 m, ycm(m2) = 2.0 m
2. Determine m1 and m2 m1 = 9σ kg, m2 = 2σ kg
3. Use Equ. 8-4 xcm = (9σ × 1.5 - 2σ × 1.5)/7σ = 1.5 m
ycm = (9σ × 1.5 - 2σ × 2.0)/7σ = 1.36 m

10 ·· Show that the center of mass of a uniform semicircular disk of radius R is at a point (4/3π )R from the center of the
circle.

1. The semicircular disk is shown; we also show here the surface element dA
2. Use Equ. 8-5 to find ycm; xcm = 0 by symmetry. ycm = (1/M)∫yσ dA
3. y = r sin θ, dA = r dθdr, and M = π R2σ/2; make the appropriate
substitutions
σ R π 2 2σ R 2 2σ 3 4
4. ycm =
M 0 ∫ ∫
0
r sin θ d θ dr =
M 0
r dr = ∫3M
R =
3π
R0

11 ·· A baseball bat of length L has a peculiar linear density (mass per unit length) given by λ = λ0(1 + x2/L2). Find the x
coordinate of the center of mass in terms of L.

∫
L
Use Equ. 8-5. xcm = ∫x dm/∫dm. Here M = ∫dm = ∫λ dx = λ 0 (1+x2/L2)dx = 4 λ0 L/30
0

∫ ∫
L L
and xdm = xλ0 (1 + x2/L2)dx = 3 λ0 L2/4.0 We find that xcm = (9/16)L.
0 0