Ph191M – Centre-of-mass Exercises

1. The structure shown consists of a thin rod of mass 4.0 kg and length 1.0 m joined to a
thin rod of length 0.50 m and mass 2.0 kg. Find the centre of mass of the structure.

2. A homogeneous sphere of mass 2.0 kg and radius 4.0 cm is connected by a thin rod of
mass 250 g and length 16 cm to another homogeneous sphere of mass 1.5 kg and
radius 3.0 cm. Find the centre of gravity of the composite object.

3. Find the centre of mass of the homogeneous thin plate shown.

10.0 cm

10.0 cm

15.0 cm 10.0 cm

4. A plate of uniform thickness is made of wood. It has a semi-circular part removed

and replaced by one made of copper. Find the centre of mass of the resulting piece.
The densities of wood and copper are 0.55 × 103 kg/m3 and 8.89 × 103 kg/m3.

30 cm

5 cm
20 cm

5 cm 5 cm
5 cm
5. Find the centre of mass of the homogenous plate of uniform thickness as shown. The
quadrant arc at the upper corner has a radius of 50.0 cm. Give your answer with
reference to the lower left corner as the origin and the bordering edges as x- and y-
axes.
50.0 cm

50.0 cm

50.0 cm 50.0 cm

80.0 cm

6. The given homogeneous plate of uniform thickness consists of an equilateral triangle

of side 50.0 cm and a semicircle at its base. Find the centre of mass of the plate.

7. A thin strip of metal of uniform width and thickness has part of it bent into the form
of a semi-cylinder of radius R, leaving a plane piece AB of length L tangential to the
semi-cylinder along one of its edges. The piece rests with the plane piece AB in
contact with a horizontal plane. Find the condition for the centre of gravity of the
piece to be vertically above B.
C

L
A B
 Solutions

Unless specified, the origin is the lower left corner of the object.

1. (0.33 m, 0.083 m)

2. 0.10 m from the centre of the larger sphere, along the axis of symmetry (along the
thin rod).

3. (9.00 cm, 6.50 cm)

4. 9 cm from the lower edge of the plate, along the axis of symmetry

5. (52.3 cm, 45.5 cm)

6. 40.8 cm from vertex along symmetric axis

7. L = 2R