CENTROID

A centroid is the geometric center of a geometric object: a one-dimensional curve, a two-dimensional area or a
three-dimensional volume. Centroids are useful for many situations in Statics and subsequent courses, including the
analysis of distributed forces, beam bending, and shaft torsion.

Two related concepts are the center of gravity, which is the average location of an object’s weight, and the center of
mass which is the average location of an object’s mass. In many engineering situations, the centroid, center of mass,
and center of gravity are all coincident. Because of this, these three terms are often used interchangeably without
regard to their precise meanings.

We consciously and subconsciously use centroids for many things in life and engineering, including:

 Keeping your body’s balance: Try standing up with your feet together and leaning your head and
hips in front of your feet. You have just moved your body’s center of gravity out of line with the
support of your feet.

 Computing the stability of objects in motion like cars, airplanes, and boats: By understanding
how the center of gravity interacts with the accelerations caused by motion, we can compute
safe speeds for sharp curves on a highway.

 Designing the structural support to balance the structure’s own weight and applied loadings
on buildings, bridges, and dams: We design most large infrastructure not to move. To keep it
from moving, we must understand how the structure’s weight, people, vehicles, wind, earth
pressure, and water pressure balance with the structural supports.

In various fields such as mathematics, physics, and statistics, the term "centroid" refers to the center point or average
position of a geometric object or a set of points. The specific definition can vary depending on the context. Here are
a few examples:

1. Geometry:

 In geometry, the centroid of a triangle is the point where the three medians (lines
connecting a vertex to the midpoint of the opposite side) intersect. It is often referred to
as the "center of mass" or "center of gravity" of the triangle.

2. Physics:

 In physics, particularly in astronomy, the centroid of a distribution of mass (like a galaxy

or a star cluster) is the average position of all the mass.

3. Statistics:

 In statistics, the centroid of a set of points in a multi-dimensional space is the mean or

average of each coordinate. For example, in two dimensions, the centroid (x̄, ȳ) of a set
x1 + x 2 +.. ..+ x n y 1+ y 2+.. . .+ y n
of points (x₁, y₁), (x₂, y₂), ..., ( x n , y n ) is given by: ( , )
n n
 The concept extends to higher dimensions.

4. Image Processing:

 In image processing, the centroid of a region in an image is the center point of that
region and is often used for various purposes, such as object recognition or tracking.

The term "centroid" is essentially a way to express the center or average position of something, and its precise
meaning depends on the specific context in which it is used.

Problem 1: Centroid of C-Shapes

Solution 1

a. Divide the compound shape into basic shapes. In this case, the
C-shape has three rectangles. Name the three divisions as Area 1,
Area 2, and Area 3.

b. Solve for the area of each division. The rectangles have

dimensions 120 x 40, 40 x 50, 120 x 40 for Area 1, Area 2, and
Area 3 respectively.
 Area 1 = b x h = 120.00 mm x 40.00 mm = 4800.00 square millimeters

Area 2 = b x h = 40.00 mm x 50.00 mm = 2000 square millimeters

Area 3 = b x h = 120.00 mm x 40.00 mm = 4800.00 square millimeters

∑A = 4800 + 2000 + 4800 = 11600.00 square millimeters

c. X and Y distances of each area. X distances are the distances of each area's centroid from the y-axis, and Y
distances are the distances of each area's centroid from the x-axis.

Area 1:

x = 60.00 millimeters, y = 20.00 millimeters

Area 2:

x = 100.00 millimeters, y = 65.00 millimeters

Area 3:

x = 60 millimeters, y = 110 millimeters

d. Solve for the Ax values. Multiply the area of each region by the distances from the y-axis.

A x 1 = 4800.00 square mm x 60.00 mm = 288000 cubic millimeters

A x 2 = 2000.00 square mm x 100.00 mm = 200000 cubic millimeters

A x 3 = 4800.00 square mm x 60.00 mm = 288000 cubic millimeters

∑Ax = 776000 cubic millimeters

e. Solve for the Ay values. Multiply the area of each region by the distances from the x-axis.

A = 4800.00 square mm x 20.00 mm = 96000 cubic millimeters

A y 2 = 2000.00 square mm x 65.00 mm = 130000 cubic millimeters

A y 3 = 4800.00 square mm x 110.00 mm = 528000 cubic millimeters

∑Ay = 754000 cubic millimeters

Area Name Area (A) X Y ∑Ax ∑Ay

Area 1 4800 60 20 288000 96000

Area 2 2000 100 65 200000 130000

Area 3 4800 60 110 288000 528000

Total 11600 776000 754000

f. Finally, solve for the centroid (Cx, Cy) by dividing ∑Ax by ∑A, and ∑Ay by ∑A.

Cx = ΣAx / ΣA

Cx = 776000 / 11600 = 66.90 millimeters

Cy = ΣAy / ΣA

Cy = 754000 / 11600 = 65.00 millimeters

The centroid of the complex figure is 66.90 millimeters from the y-axis and 65.00 millimeters from the x-axis.

Problem 2: Centroid of Irregular Figures

Solution 2

a. Divide the compound shape into basic shapes. In this case, the irregular shape has a semicircle, rectangle, and
right triangle. Name the three divisions as Area 1, Area 2, and Area 3.

b. Solve for the area of each division. The dimensions are 250 x 300 for the rectangle, 120 x 120 for the right
triangle, and a radius of 100 for the semicircle. Make sure to negate the values for the right triangle and semicircle
because they are holes.

Area 1 = b x h = 250.00 mm x 300.00 mm = 75000.00 square millimeters

1 1
Area 2 = (bh) = (120 mm) (120 mm)= - 7200 square millimeters
2 2
2 2
π r π (100)
Area 3 = = = - 5000pi square millimeters
2 2
∑A = 75000.00 - 7200 - 5000pi = 52092.04 square millimeters

c. X and Y distances of each area. X distances are the

distances of each area's centroid from the y-axis, and y distances are the distances of each area's centroid from
the x-axis. Consider the orientation of x and y-axes. For Quadrant I, x and y are positive. For Quadrant II, x is
negative while y is positive.

Area 1: x = 0, y = 125.00 millimeters

Area 2: x = 110.00 millimeters, y = 210.00 millimeters

Area 3: x = - 107.56 millimeters, y = 135 millimeters

d. Solve for the Ax values. Multiply the area of each region by the distances from the y-axis.

A x 1 = 75000.00 square mm x 0.00 mm = 0

A x 2 = - 7200.00 square mm x 110.00 mm = - 792000 cubic millimeters

A x 3 = - 5000pi square mm x - 107.56 mm = 1689548.529 cubic millimeters

∑Ax = 897548.529 cubic millimeters

e. Solve for the Ay values. Multiply the area of each region by the distances from the x-axis.

A y 1 = 75000.00 square mm x 125.00 mm = 9375000 cubic millimeters

A y 2= - 7200.00 square mm x 210.00 mm = - 1512000 cubic millimeters

A y 3 = - 5000pi square mm x 135.00 mm = - 2120575.041 cubic millimeters

∑Ay = 5742424.959 cubic millimeters

Area Name Area (A) X Y ∑Ax ∑Ay

Area 1 75000 0 125 0 9375000

Area 2 - 7200 110 210 -792000 -1512000

Area 3 - 5000pi - 107.56 135 1689548.529 -2120575.041

Total 52092.04 897548.529 5742424.959

f. Finally, solve for the centroid (Cx, Cy) by dividing ∑Ax by ∑A, and ∑Ay by ∑A.

Cx = ΣAx / ΣA

Cx = 897548.529 / 52092.04 = 17.23 millimeters

Cy = ΣAy / ΣA

Cy = 5742424.959 / 52092.04 = 110.24 millimeters

The centroid of the complex figure is 17.23 millimeters from the y-axis and 110.24 millimeters from the x-axis.
EXERCISES:
Deadline. December 18, 2023- Tuesday

INSTRUCTION. Copy and Answer. Write your answer in a newsprint. Strictly avoid erasures.

1. Find the x and y coordinates of the centroid of the shape shown below.

SHAPE AREA x̄ Ȳ ∑Ax ∑Ay

2. Find the x and y coordinates of the centroid of the shape shown below.

SHAPE AREA X Y ∑Ax ∑Ay