1. A highway marking pylon has the shape of a frustum of a cone.

Find its centroid

if the radii of its bases are 5.00 cm and 20.0 cm and the height between bases is
60.0 cm.

Given
R=20cm,
r=5cm,
h=60cm.

Find the Centroid (𝑧) :-

We know that:

Volume =∫ 𝑑𝑣

=∫ 𝐴𝑑𝑣 {𝐴 = 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎}

2
=∫(π𝑎 )𝑑𝑧
ℎ=ℎ
𝑧 2
= ∫ π(𝑅 + (𝑟 − 𝑅) ℎ ) 𝑑𝑧
ℎ=0

⇒𝑉 =
1
3 [2
πℎ 𝑟 + 𝑅 * 𝑟 + 𝑅
2
]
Now
1
Centroid (𝑧)= 𝑣
∫ 𝑧𝑑𝑣

1 𝑧 2
= 𝑣 ∫ 2π⎡𝑅 + (𝑟 − 𝑅) ℎ ⎤ 𝑑𝑧
⎣ ⎦
2 2
ℎ(3𝑟 +2𝑟𝑅+𝑅 )
= 2 2
4(𝑟 +𝑟𝑅+𝑅 )

Putting in values of h,r, R.

2 2
60(3(5) +(2*5*20)+20 )
⇒(𝑧)= 2 2
4(5 +(5*20)+20 )

60(75+200+400)
⇒ 4(25+100+400)
 60 675
⇒ ⎡ 525 ⎤
4 ⎣ ⎦
⇒19.3cm

Therefore, the centroid (𝑧)=19.3cm from the center of the larger base.

2. A lens with semielliptical vertical cross-sections and circular horizontal

cross-sections is shown in Fig. 26.45. For proper installation in an optical device,
its centroid must be known. Locate its centroid.
We have to find the coordinate of the centroid of the shaded region as shown in the
figure above. The curve is rotated about the 𝑥 axis, therefore, the ‘y’ coordinate of
the centroid is zero.
i,e., 𝑦 = 0
𝑏
2
∫𝑥𝑦 𝑑𝑥
𝑎
Now, 𝑥 = 𝑏 and because 𝑥 varies from 0 to 2, we have,
2
∫𝑦 𝑑𝑥
𝑎

2
𝑎 = 0, 𝑏 = 2, 𝑦 = 𝑥
 2
5 2
∫𝑥 𝑑𝑥 1
6 [𝑥6]0 6
5(2) 5
Then, 𝑥 =
0
2 = 2 = 5 = 3
4
∫𝑥 𝑑𝑥
1
5 [𝑥5]0 6(2)
0

Hence the coordinates of the required centroid are 0, ( )

5
3