CH.

6 PROPERTIES OF RIGID BODY

1- Center of gravity

A body is composed of an infinite number of particles of differential size,

then each of these particles will have a weight dW. These weights will
form a parallel force system, and the resultant of this system is the total
weight of the body W, which passes through a single point called the
center of gravity, G. So it is the point at which the gravity force (weight)
acts.

The location of the center of gravity, measured

from the y axis, is determined by equating the
moment of W about the y axis, to the sum of the
moments of the weights of all its particles about
the same axis, 𝒙𝑮 𝑾 = ∫ 𝒅𝑾 𝒙. Therefore
∫ 𝒅𝑾 𝒙
𝒙𝑮 = . So, the center of gravity can be
∫ 𝒅𝑾

obtained with respect to the three axes by:

∫ 𝑑𝑊 𝑥 ∫ 𝑑𝑊 𝑦 ∫ 𝑑𝑊 𝑧
𝑥𝐺 = 𝑦𝐺 = 𝑧𝐺 =
∫ 𝑑𝑊 ∫ 𝑑𝑊 ∫ 𝑑𝑊

2- Center of Mass

In order to study the accelerated motion of a body, it

becomes important to locate the body’s center of
mass Cm. This location can be determined by
substituting 𝑑𝑤 = 𝑔 𝑑𝑚 into the above equation.
Provided 𝑔 is constant, it cancels out, and the mass center is given by:

∫ 𝑑𝑚 𝑥 ∫ 𝑑𝑚 𝑦 ∫ 𝑑𝑚 𝑧
𝑥𝐶𝑚 = 𝑦𝐶𝑚 = 𝑧𝐶𝑚 =
∫ 𝑑𝑚 ∫ 𝑑𝑚 ∫ 𝑑𝑚

3- Centroid

It is the geometrical center of the body, it is

determined by:

∫ 𝑑𝑉 𝑥 ∫ 𝑑𝑉 𝑦 ∫ 𝑑𝑉 𝑧
𝑥𝐶 = 𝑦𝐶 = 𝑧𝐶 =
∫ 𝑑𝑉 ∫ 𝑑𝑉 ∫ 𝑑𝑉

Important Notes

I. For homogeneous bodies ( = constant), the mass center coincides

with the centroid.
II. If a body has axis of symmetry, the centroid of
the body lies on this axis of symmetry. For
example, the cone in the figure has a centroid lies
on the y axis (y axis of symmetry) so that xc = zc
= 0. The location yc can be found by using a
∫ 𝒅𝑽 𝒚
single integration: 𝒚𝑪 =
∫ 𝒅𝑽
Example 6.1
z
y dy
Determine the location of the mass center of
the shown homogeneous cone with mass m, r a
y
base radius a and height h. x
h
Solution:

The mass center coincides with the axis of symmetry, which is the y-axis.
Thus, xc = zc= o and

∫ 𝑑𝑉 𝑦
𝑦𝐶 =
∫ 𝑑𝑉

By choosing a differential element represented by a thin disk having a

thickness dy and radius r. Its volume is 𝑑𝑉 = 𝜋𝑟 2 𝑑𝑦

∫ 𝜋𝑟 2 𝑦 𝑑𝑦
𝑦𝐶 =
∫ 𝜋𝑟 2 𝑑𝑦

𝑟 𝑦
From similarity of the triangles, then =
𝑎 ℎ

Substituting about r then,

ℎ 𝑎 2 ℎ 𝑦4 ℎ
∫0 𝜋 (ℎ 𝑦) 𝑦 𝑑𝑦 ∫0 𝑦 3 𝑑𝑦 ( 4 ) 0 3
𝑦𝐶 = = = 3 = ℎ
ℎ 𝑎 2 ℎ
∫0 𝑦 2 𝑑𝑦 (𝑦 ) ℎ 4
∫0 𝜋 (ℎ 𝑦) 𝑑𝑦 3 0
Mass Center of a Composite Body

A composite body consists of a series of connected “simpler” bodies.

Such a body can often be divided into number of parts provided the mass
and location of the mass center of these parts are known.

There is no need for integration to determine the center of mass for the
entire body, since we deal with finite number of simple bodies. We will
take the moment of masses about the 3 axes and equating each moment
with the moment of the mass of the whole body about the same axis.

∑𝑖=𝑛
𝑖=1 𝑚𝑖 𝑥𝑐𝑖 ∑𝑖=𝑛
𝑖=1 𝑚𝑖 𝑦𝑐𝑖 ∑𝑖=𝑛
𝑖=1 𝑚𝑖 𝑧𝑐𝑖
𝑥𝐶 = 𝑦𝐶 = 𝑧𝐶 =
∑𝑖=𝑛
𝑖=1 𝑚𝑖 ∑𝑖=𝑛
𝑖=1 𝑚𝑖 ∑𝑖=𝑛
𝑖=1 𝑚𝑖

Where xCi , yCi , and zCi are the known coordinates of the mass center of
the part i of the composite body and n is the number of all parts.

It must be noted that in the case of holes (which are considered as parts of
the body), their masses must be considered negative because they must
subtracted from the body.
Example 6.2

Determine the mass center of the shown m2

m1 C1 R
pendulum consisting of a thin rod of mass O x
L/2 C2
m1, and length L and a sphere of mass m2 L
and radius R.

Solution:

The x-axis is an axis of symmetry, the centroid of the body lies on this
axis. Thus, yC=0 and zC.

∑𝑖=2
𝑖=1 𝑚𝑖 𝑥𝑐𝑖
𝑥𝐶 =
∑𝑖=2
𝑖=1 𝑚𝑖

𝑚1 𝑥𝑐1 + 𝑚2 𝑥𝑐2
𝑥𝐶 =
𝑚1 + 𝑚2

𝑥𝑐1 = 𝐿/2

𝑥𝑐2 = 𝐿 + 𝑅

𝑚1 𝐿/2 + 𝑚2 (𝐿 + 𝑅)
𝑥𝐶 =
𝑚1 + 𝑚2
4- Mass Moment of Inertia

The moment of inertia is a measure of the resistance of a body to the

angular acceleration in the same way that mass is a measure of the
body’s resistance to the linear acceleration.

We define the moment of inertia as the integral of the

“second moment” about an axis of all the elements of mass
dm which compose the body. For example, the body’s
moment of inertia about the z axis is

𝐼𝑧 = ∫ 𝑟 2 𝑑𝑚

Here the “moment arm” r is the perpendicular distance from the z axis to
the arbitrary element dm. The value of I will depend on the axis about
which it is computed.

Since r is squared in the equation, the mass moment of inertia is always a

positive quantity. It is measured by kg.m2.

Radius of Gyration

Occasionally, the moment of inertia of a body about a specified axis is

reported in handbooks using the radius of gyration, k. This is a
geometrical property which has units of length. When the body’s moment
of inertia I and the body’s mass m are known, it is determined from the
equation:

𝐼𝑥 𝐼𝑦 𝐼𝑦
𝑘𝑥 = √ 𝑜𝑟 𝑘𝑦 = √ 𝑜𝑟 𝑘𝑦 = √
𝑚 𝑚 𝑚
Where 𝑘𝑥 is the radius of gyration of the body with respect to x axis.

𝑘𝑦 is the radius of gyration of the body with respect to y axis.

𝑘𝑧 is the radius of gyration of the body with respect to z axis.

If the radius of gyration k and the mass of the body are known, the
moment of inertia is given by:

𝐼𝑥 = 𝑚 𝑘𝑥2 𝑜𝑟 𝐼𝑦 = 𝑚 𝑘𝑦2 𝑜𝑟 𝐼𝑧 = 𝑚 𝑘𝑧2

Dm
Parallel Axis Theorem H
ro
If the mass moment of inertia of a body is known d C 
r o
with respect to a centroidal axis Sc , it may be d SC
easily determined with respect to any other axis S
parallel to Sc. If the perpendicular distance
Sc axis passing through its
between the considered axes is d, then: mass center c

𝐼𝑠 = 𝐼𝑠𝑐 + 𝑚 𝑑 2 S axis parallel to Sc

Example 6.4

Determine the mass moment of inertia of a slender rod of length L and

mass m with respect to an axis perpendicular to the rod and passing
through:
a. one end of the rod. z
b. the center of mass C of the rod. y
x L

z
Solution:
y dy y
Choosing the differential element of x
mass as shown, its mass equal
𝑚
𝑑𝑚 = 𝑑𝑦
𝐿

𝐿
2
𝑚 2 𝑚 𝑦 3 𝐿 𝑚𝐿2
𝐼𝑧 = 𝐼𝑥 = ∫ 𝑦 𝑑𝑚 = ∫ 𝑦 𝑑𝑦 = ( ) =
0 𝐿 𝐿 3 0 3

Using parallel axis theorem

𝐿 2 𝑚𝐿2 𝑚𝐿2 𝑚𝐿2

𝐼𝑧𝑐 = 𝐼𝑍 − 𝑚 ( ) = − =
2 3 4 12
Example 6.5

Determine the moment of inertia of the right circular cylinder with radius
R, height h and mass m, with respect the z axis. The mass density ρ of
the materials is constant.

Solution:

This problem can be solved using the shell, its volume is

dV = 2rhdr, so that its mass is dm = dV = (2hr dr).
Since the entire element lies at the same distance r from
the z axis, the moment of inertia Iz is given by

𝑅 𝑅
2 2
𝑅4 3
𝐼𝑧 = ∫ 𝑟 𝑑𝑚 = ∫ ρ(2πℎ𝑟𝑑𝑟) 𝑟 = 2𝜋ℎ𝜌 ∫ 𝑟 = 2𝜋ℎ𝜌
0 0 4
1
= 𝜋𝑅4 ℎ𝜌
2

Since 𝑚 = 𝜋𝑅2 ℎ 𝜌, then

1
𝐼𝑧 = 𝑚 𝑅2
2
 z

h
Moment of Inertia of a Thin Plate
O y
r x
For a thin plate with uniform thickness h, that y dm
x
locates in the x-y plane. The mass moments of
inertia of the plate with respect to coordinate axes
x, y and z are:

𝐼𝑥 = ∫ 𝑦 2 𝑑𝑚 𝐼𝑦 = ∫ 𝑦 2 𝑑𝑚 𝐼𝑧 = ∫ 𝑟 2 𝑑𝑚

Noting that, 𝑟 2 = 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 , so

𝐼𝑧 = ∫ 𝑟 2 𝑑𝑚 = 𝐼𝑧 = ∫ (𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 ) 𝑑𝑚

𝐼𝑧 = 𝐼𝑥 + 𝐼𝑦

𝐼𝑧 is the moment of inertia about axis perpendicular to the plate, it may be

denoted by 𝐼𝑜 (polar moment of inertia). Axis z is called polar axis. The
above relation, for a thin plate, is the same as that for area moments, of
inertia.
 Example 6.7
z
Determine the mass moment of inertia of a
R
thin circular disk of mass m and radius R,
y
with respect to:
x
a) The disk axis of symmetry, z,
b) Two diameters x and y.

Solution

a) Considering example 6.5, it may be observed that the mass moment

inertia of the cylinder with respect to its axis, Iz=1/2 m R2, does not
depend on the height h. Hence, the mass moment of inertia of the
shown thin disk about its axis of symmetry
1
𝐼𝑧 = 𝑚 𝑅2
2

b) From the symmetry of the disk, then Ix= Iy (x and y are diameters).
Applying the obtained relation for a thin plate located in x-y plane, we
have for the given circular disk;

𝐼𝑧 = 𝐼𝑥 + 𝐼𝑦 = 2𝐼𝑥 = 2𝐼𝑦

Hence:

𝐼𝑧 1
𝐼𝑥 = 𝐼𝑦 = = 𝑚 𝑅2
2 4
Moment of Inertia of a Composite Body

If a body consists of a number of simple bodies such as disks, spheres,

and rods, the mass moment of inertia of this composite body is the sum of
the moments of inertia of its individual parts with respect to the same
axis. If a composite body has negative masses (such as holes), the
moment of inertia of these holes, must be considered negative quantity.

It must be noted that, the parallel axis theorem is needed for the
calculations if the center of mass of each composite part does not lie on
the axis. The moment of inertia for each part (such as rods and disks)
about axis passing through its mass center is determined from a table that
given in the book.

𝒊=𝒏

𝐼𝑥 = ∑ 𝐼𝑥 𝒊 = 𝐼𝑥 𝟏 + 𝐼𝑥 𝟐 + 𝐼𝑥 𝟑 + ⋯ + 𝐼𝑥 𝒏
𝒊=𝟏

The number of parts is (n)

Example 6.10

Determine the mass moment of inertia of z z’ m2 z”

m1 C1 R
the shown pendulum with respect to the z-
O x
axis. The pendulum consists of a slender L/2 C2
L
rod, of mass m1, and length L, and a disk
of mass m2 and radius R.

The body consists of two parts, then

𝐼𝑧 = 𝐼𝑧 1 + 𝐼𝑧 2

For part (1)

𝐿 2 𝑚1 𝐿2 𝑚1 𝐿2 𝑚1 𝐿2
𝐼𝑧 1 = 𝐼𝑧′ + 𝑚1 ( ) = + =
2 12 4 3

For part (2)

2
𝑚2 𝑅2
𝐼𝑧 2 = 𝐼𝑧′′ + 𝑚2 (𝐿 + 𝑅) = + 𝑚2 (𝐿 + 𝑅)2
4

So

𝑚1 𝐿2 𝑚2 𝑅2
𝐼𝑧 = + + 𝑚2 (𝐿 + 𝑅)2
3 4
Example 6.11
0.5 m
Determine the mass moment of inertia of the shown 0.3m 10mm
wheel with respect to its axis z. The density of the
z
wheel material is  =300 kg/m3
2

1
50 mm

Solution

The wheel may be considered as a solid disk (of radius R= 0.5 m and
thickness H=50 mm) from which two circular disks (of radius r=0.3 m
and thickness h=20 mm) are extracted. Thus:

Part (1) 𝑚1 = 𝜌𝜋𝑅2 𝐻 = 300𝜋(0.5)2 (0.05) = 11.78 𝑘𝑔

𝑚1 𝑅2 1
𝐼𝑧 1 = = (11.78)(0.5)2 = 1.4725 𝑘𝑔. 𝑚2
2 2

Part (2) 𝑚2 = 𝜌𝜋𝑟 2 ℎ = 300𝜋(0.3)2 (0.02) = 1.7 𝑘𝑔

𝑚2 𝑅2 1
𝐼𝑧 2 = = (1.7)(0.3)2 = 0.0765 𝑘𝑔. 𝑚2
2 2

𝐼𝑧 = 𝐼𝑧 1 − 2𝐼𝑧 2 = 1.4725 − 2(0.0765) = 1.3195 𝑘𝑔. 𝑚2