F I N D I N G T H E C E N T R E O F G R AV I T Y

Name: ___________________________
Grade and Section:_________________

CENTER OF GRAVITY

Finding the centre of gravity of an irregularly-shaped object is trickier than for a ruler or other regular
shape. In this activity, students use the force of gravity to deduce the centre of gravity for various shapes.

Since the weight of an object is concentrated in its centre of gravity, the force of gravity passes through
this point in a vertical line towards the Earth. An object hanging from any point will automatically rotate so that
its centre of gravity is along this vertical line from the hanging point.

In this activity, a plumb line (a weighted string) is created in order to visualize the vertical
gravitational pull towards the Earth. Hanging the shape at any point will cause the shape to rotate until its
centre of gravity lines up directly below the hanging point.

Drawing a line along the plumb line enables us to see the vertical line between the hanging point and the
centre of the earth. The problem is that one line is not sufficient to pinpoint the exact centre of gravity of the
shape (it could be anywhere along this line). This is why we hang the shape at a different point and draw
another line along the plumb line.

The intersection of the two plumb lines is the object's centre of gravity. When students hang the
shape from several different points they see that the plumb line always passes through the same spot.

You have correctly marked the shape's centre of gravity if:

 when you pin your shape through its centre of gravity it is stable and balanced.
 you can balance the shape by placing your finger under the centre of gravity.

An object will topple over once its centre of gravity falls outside its base of support.
To answer a brainteaser on whether or not an object will topple over, students can draw a plumb line
between the object's centre of gravity and its base. If the plumb line falls outside of the base of support, the
object will topple over. This is why the Leaning Tower of Pisa does not topple over: its centre of gravity is still
above its base when a plumb line is drawn. If it were leaning more, it would topple over since the plumb line
would fall outside the base.

Objectives
 Examine the concept of the centre of gravity.
 Use the force of gravity to deduce the centre of gravity for various shapes.
 Materials
4 cardstock shapes, either pre-cut or printed for students to cut out
4 pairs of scissors
a pin or tack
a 20 cm piece of string
a chalk or pen (colour should contrast the shapes’ colour)
a small weight to hang from the string (e.g. washer, eraser, key)

Key Questions
 Which force does the plumb line follow?
 Why do we have to draw several lines from different points?
 What does the spot where your lines intersect represent?
 How can you check that you have correctly found your shape’s centre of gravity?
 Is the centre of gravity exactly in the middle (geometric centre) of the shape?
 What does it mean to say that something is “balanced”?

What To Do
Preparation:

Pre-cut templates or photocopy irregular shape templates onto cardstock.

Activity:
1. Attach a small weight to the end of your string. This is your plumb line: it follows the direction of the
gravitational pull.
2. If using chalk, cover the string with chalk. If not, skip this step.
3. Hang the plumb line on the pin. Pierce the pin anywhere along the edge of the shape, so that your shape is free
to swing/rotate.
4. Hold the pin and wait until the shape and the plumb line have settled. Mark where the string crosses the shape
by “twanging” the string to leave a chalk mark, or trace the string’s path with a pen if you are not using chalk.
5. Remove the pin and plumb line from the shape. Pierce them through another point along the shape’s edge. It
shouldn’t be too close to the last hole you made.
6. Repeat steps 1 to 6 three more times.
7. Mark the spot where the lines intersect.
8. Repeat with another shape.
 REFLECTION:

Extensions/Enhancement Activity
 Use cardboard templates that are in the shape of the Provinces and Territories to find the centre of gravity for
each.

Source: https://www.scienceworld.ca/resource/finding-centre-gravity/
LECTURE
Difference between Center of Mass and Center of Gravity
Physics has always been a fascinating topic to study. Some of the interesting issues to study include gravity,
inertia, distance, displacement, and so on. Science is a comprehensive area that studies various systems such as
the human body, the solar system, plant and animal tissue, chemicals, and so on. The center of mass and the
center of gravity are two notions that come up frequently in physics. The distinction between the center of mass
and the center of gravity will be explained in this article. The major distinction between Center of Gravity and
Center of Mass is that the center of gravity is the position at which the entire body weight is balanced, while the
center of mass is the position at which the entire mass of the body is directed.

What is the Center of Mass?

The center of mass is defined as the point at which the mass’s relative position is calculated to be zero. The
mass distribution is considered uniform around the center of mass. Because the center of mass is independent of
the gravitational field (g), the body remains unaffected by changes in the gravitational field’s force.
In simple rigid objects with uniform density, the center of mass is located at the center or centroid. In the case
of sophisticated objects, the total center of mass becomes zero.

What is the Center of Gravity?

The center of gravity is defined as the exact place in a body around which the instants due to gravity are
regarded as zero. The center of gravity is the point at which the entire body is perfectly balanced in relation to
gravity.
If that exact place is given support in the opposite direction of gravity, the body will achieve equilibrium. The
center of gravity is abbreviated as C.G. or simply G. The object’s center of gravity could be inside or outside
the object’s body. The gravitational field (g) always affects the center of gravity because when the gravitational
field’s value varies, the center of gravity’s value changes as well.

Difference Between Center of Mass and Center of Gravity

Center of Mass Center of Gravity

The center of mass is the point where mass The center of gravity is the point where weight is
distribution is uniform in all directions. evenly distributed in all directions.

The Center of mass is based on the mass of the The Center of gravity is based on the weight of the
body. body.

It is said to be the center where the entire bodily It is defined as the point at which the body’s entire
mass is concentrated. weight is suspended.

There is a uniform distribution of mass of the There is a uniform distribution of the weight of the
body. body.

When a body travels through an axis, the mass When a body travels through an axis, the weight on the
 operating on the left side is equal to the mass
acting on the right side. left side becomes equal to the weight on the right side.

Changes in the force of the earth’s acting gravity

The change in the gravitational field has no effect usually cause the object to move closer to the parts of
on it. the object in a stronger field.

When spinning around that point, it provides some

angular momentum. Because of gravity, the net torque is zero.

Solved Problems

Problem 1: Two-point masses of 3 kg and 5 kg are located at 4 m and 8 m on X-axis. Find the center of
mass.

Solution:
Given,
m1 = 3 kg
m2 = 5 kg
x1 = 4 m
x2 = 8m
Using Center of mass formula,
Xcm = m1x1+m2x2/ m1+m2
= (3)(4) + (5)(8)/ 3 + 5
= 6.5
So, the center of mass is 6.5 m.
Problem 2: Two-point masses of 2 kg and 5 kg are located at 10 m and -5 m on Y-axis respectively.
Calculate the center of mass.
Solution:
Given,
m1 = 2 kg
m2 = 5 kg
y1 = 10 m
y2 = -5 m
Using center of mass formula,
Ycm = m1y1+m2y2/m1+m2
= (2)(10)+(5)(-5)/2+5
= 5/7
So, the center of mass is 5/7 m.