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MOMENT AND CENTRE OF GRAVITY
The moment of a force:
Introduction:
Consider the following daily life examples -
a) Opening a door with door handle.
The downward force of your hand on the
handle makes it turn about the point where it
has been fixed to the door.
Similarly, the door is fixed to the hinges. When
you pull on the handle, the door turns about
these hinges.
b) Turning a nut with a spanner.
The force on the spanner causes the nut to
turn.
c) Children playing a see-saw.
The weight of the child on the left hand side
causes it to tip down on the left or in the
anticlockwise direction.
However, the weight of the child on the right
hand side causes it to tip on the right or in the
clockwise direction.
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In all the above cases, you are using the turning
effect of forces.
Definition: The turning effect of a force about
a pivot or hinge or a fulcrum (fixed point) is
called its moment.
To find a moment, we need to know two
things:
i) the perpendicular distance of line of action
of force from the pivot,
ii) the size of the force applied.
The equation for working out a moment is:
moment = force × perpendicular distance
from the pivot.
M=F X d
The SI unit of moment is newton-meter. (Nm)
Note: Don't get confused with a 'newton
meter', which is a device to measure weight
and is another name for a force meter.
Moment is a vector quantity. It can be either
clockwise moment or anticlockwise moment.
Worked example
Calculate the moment exerted with the claw
hammer if the person exerts a force of 80N and
distance d equals 25cm.
moment = F x d
= 80N x 25cm
= 80N x 0.25m
= 20 Nm CLOCKWISE
Factors affecting moments:
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The moment of a force is bigger if
 The force is bigger,
 It acts further from the pivot,
 It acts at 900 to the object it acts on.
Example:
Look at the diagrams below:
For a force to have the biggest turning effect,
the line of action of the force should be
perpendicular (at 900) to the door, as in figure
(a).
In figure (b), the force has no turning effect at
all because the line of action passes through
the pivot.
Figure (c) shows how the distance to the pivot
is measured. In this case, the perpendicular
distance is reduced, hence the moment is less.
Using moments
a) Using a crowbar to lift a heavy rock.
Pull near the end of the bar, and at 900, to have
the biggest possible turning effect.
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b) Lifting a load in a wheelbarrow.
The long handles help to increase the moment
of the lifting force.
c) Undoing a nut.
If a nut is difficult to undo with a short spanner,
a longer spanner will help. This is because
there will be a bigger moment on the nut,
when the same force is applied further from
the pivot.
Principles of moments:
When an object is not turning (e.g. balanced):
The total (or sum of) clockwise moment equals
the total (or sum of) anticlockwise moment.
If the ruler above is balanced:
clockwise moment = anticlockwise moment
W2 x d2 = W1 x d1
Examples:
1) A see-saw will balance if the moments on
each side of the pivot are equal. This is why you
might have to adjust your position on a see-
saw if you are a different weight from the
person on the other end.
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The clockwise moment is more, so the see saw
turns in clockwise direction.
The see-saw is balanced as the clockwise
moment and the anticlockwise moment are
equal OR there is NO resultant moment.
2) The clockwise moments and anticlockwise
moments of a crane must be balanced.
The load arm is long so that the crane can
reach across a construction site and move
loads forwards and backwards along the length
of the arm. The weight of the long load arm
and the load must be counterbalanced by the
large concrete blocks at the end of the short
arm that projects out behind the crane
controller’s cabin. The counterbalance weights
must be large because they are positioned
closer to the pivot point where the crane tower
supports the crosspiece of the crane. Without
careful balance the turning forces on the
support tower could cause it to bend and
collapse.
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Activity:
Aim: To measure the moment of a force about
a pivot and to show that there is no net
moment on a body in equilibrium.
Method:
 Balance the half-metre ruler at its
centre, adding blu-tack or tape to one
side or the other until it is horizontal.
 Hang 30g mass (m1) from the ruler at a
distance (d1) of 20cm from fulcrum. Use
very small amount of blu-tack to help
hold it in place.
 Hang 40g mass (m2) 0n the opposite side
of the fulcrum in such a position that the
beam is balanced.
 Record the positions of m1 and m2 on
the ruler.
 Repeat the experiment by placing the
mass m1 at different positions on the
ruler and adjusting the positions of m2
until the beam is balanced again.
 Repeat the experiment for different
values of m1 and m2.
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Evaluation:
1) Discuss how the experiment could be
improved to give more reliable results.

2) How could you use the apparatus to obtain

the mass of an unknown object?

Equilibrium:
A see-saw is an example of a beam, a long,
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rigid object that is pivoted at a point.
n b) the beam is supported at two points that
When a beam is balanced, we say that it is in
are at different distances from the middle of
equilibrium:
the bar.
 The forces on it must be balanced. (No
So, W = F1 + F2
resultant force).
Considering the moments, clockwise and
 The turning effects of the forces on it
anticlockwise about the left hand support
must also be balanced. ( No resultant
point:
turning effect).
For a): W X a = F X 2 a
If a resultant force acts on an object, it will
For b): W X a = F2 X (a + b)
start to move off in the direction of the
Centre of gravity
resultant force.
The centre of gravity of an object is the point
If there is a resultant turning effect, it will start
at which its entire weight appears to
to rotate.
concentrate/ to act.
Activity:
[The centre of mass of an object is the point at
Aim: to show how both moments and vertical
which we can take its entire mass to be
forces balance for a beam.
concentrated.

Note: 1) In places where the gravitational field

strength is uniform, the centre of gravity and
the centre of mass are at the same point.
(This is true for all objects near the surface of
the Earth.)]

2) An object will balance if supported at its

centre of gravity. i.e the moment about the
Considering the vertical forces: centre ofgravity point is zero.
In a) the beam is supported at two points that Reason: When you pivot an object at its centre
are the same distance from the middle of the ofgravity point, its perpendicular distance
bar. becomes zero. Hence its moment also becomes
So, W = F + F zero.
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Finding the centre of mass of regular objects
For uniform, symmetrical objects the centre of
mass is at the geometric centre. i.e located
where the axes of symmetry cross as shown
below.
Q. Why does a plumb-line always hang
vertically?
 Suspend the lamina from one of the
holes using a pin and clamp it to the
retort stand. Ensure that the lamina can
swing freely.
 With lamina at rest, suspend a plumb
line (a small mass on the end of the
thread) from the nail.
 When the plumb line is steady, trace
the outline of the thread on the lamina.
 Repeat the experiment with rest of the
holes.
 The point of intersection of all the lines
is the position of center of mass.

If you hang an object up, so that it can swing, it

will always come to rest with its centre of
gravity directly below the point of support.

Reason: If the line of weight does not go

through the pivot, then there is a moment to
make the object turn. It turns until there is no
moment.

For irregular objects, we can use this idea to

find their centre of mass.

Finding the centre of gravity of an irregularly

shaped lamina:

A lamina is a thin, flat shape.

Apparatus: Retort stand, plumb line, cork, pin

and lamina.
Precautions:
 Make few holes at the edge of the
1) The holes must be small so that not too
irregularly shaped lamina. The holes
much of the lamina is removed.
should be as far apart as possible from
one another. 2) The lamina should be free to swing about its
point of suspension.
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Objects not pivoted at the centre

When a uniform object is not pivoted at the

centre the weight of the object will produce a
turning effect as shown below.

The stability of a body is increased by

 Lowering its centre of mass, and

 Increasing the area of its base.

Centre of gravity and stability

The position of the centre of gravity of an

object will affect its stability. A stable object is
one that is difficult to push over. When pushed
and then released it will tend to return to its Stable objects have low centre of gravity and a
original position. wide base.

The position of the centre of mass of a body Examples:

affects whether or not it topples over easily.
This is important in the design of tall vehicles
(which tend to overturn when rounding a
corner), racing cars. Reading lamps and even
drinking glasses.

A body topples when the vertical line through

its centre of mass falls outside its base.
Otherwise it remains stable.

iii) A tall glass is easily knocked over. It is

unstable, because most of its mass is
concentrated high up, above the stem.
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a) When the glass is upright, its weight acts

downwards and the contact force of the table
acts upwards. The two forces are in line, and
the glass is in equilibrium.

b) If the glass is tilted slightly to the right, the

forces are no longer in line. There is apivot at
the point where the base of the glass is in
contact with the table. The line of the glass’s
weight is to the left of this pivot, so it has an
anticlockwise moment, which tends to tip the
glass back to its upright position.

c) Now, the glass is tilted further. Its weight

acts to the right of the pivot, and has a
clockwise moment, which makes the glass tip
right over.