Physics 111: Lecture 13

Todays Agenda

Potential Energy & Force

Systems of Particles

Center of mass

Velocity and acceleration of the center of mass

Dynamics of the center of mass

Linear Momentum

Example problems

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 1

 Potential Energy & Force
For a conservative force we define the
potential energy function: x
U W F dx
2

Therefore: F
dU 1

U F dx C
dx
Consider some potential energy functions we know, and
find the forces:
1 dU
U x kx 2 C Fx kx
Spring: 2 dx
dU
U y mgy C Fy mg
Gravity near earth: dy

GMm dU GMm
Newtons Gravity: UR C FR
R dR R2
Its true!!
Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 2
 Potential Energy Diagrams

Consider a block sliding on a

frictionless surface, attached
to an ideal spring. m
1 x
U s kx 2
2
U

x
0

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 3

 Potential Energy Diagrams

Consider a block sliding on a

F
frictionless surface, attached
to an ideal spring. m
1 x
U s kx 2
2
U
F = -dU/dx = -slope

x
x 0

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 4

 Potential Energy Diagrams

The potential energy of the

block is the same as that of
an object sliding in a m
frictionless bowl:

Ug = mgy = 1/2 kx2 = Us U

k
y x2
2 gm

is the height of an object x

0
in the bowl at position x

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 5

 Equilibrium

F = -dU/dx = -slope
So F = 0 if slope = 0. m
This is the case at the x
minimum or maximum of
U(x). U
This is called an equilibrium
position.
If we place the block at
rest at x = 0, it wont
move.
x
0

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 6

 Equilibrium

If small displacements from F

the equilibrium position
result in a force that tends to m
move the system back to its
equilibrium position, the x
equilibrium is said to be
stable. U
This is the case if U is a
minimum at the equilibrium
position.
F
In calculus language, the
equilibrium is stable if the
x
curvature (second 0
derivative) is positive.

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 7

 Balance
Equilibrium cone

Birds
Suppose U(x) looked U
unstable
like this:
This has two equilibrium neutral
positions, one is stable
(+ curvature) and one is
unstable (- curvature). stable
Think of a small object
sliding on the U(x) x
0
surface:
If it wants to keep sliding when you give it a little push,
the equilibrium is unstable.
If it returns to the equilibrium position when you give it
a little push, the equilibrium is stable.
If the curvature is zero (flat line) the equilibrium is
neutral.
Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 8
 System of Particles

Until now, we have considered the behavior of very simple

systems (one or two masses).
But real life is usually much more interesting!
For example, consider a simple rotating disk.

An extended solid object (like a disk) can be thought of as

a collection of parts. The motion of each little part depends
on where it is in the object!

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 9

 System of Particles: Center of Mass Ice
table
How do we describe the position of a system made up of
many parts?
Define the Center of Mass (average position):
For a collection of N individual pointlike particles whose
masses and positions we know:

m2
N m1
m i ri r
RCM i 1 r1 RCM 2
N y m3
mi r3
i 1
m4 r x
4
(In this case, N = 4)
Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 10
 System of Particles: Center of Mass

If the system is made up of only two particles:

N
m i ri m1 r1 m2 r2
i 1
RCM
N
m1 m2
mi
i 1

m1 m2 r1 m2 r2 r1
m1 m2 r2 - r1
m2
m1 RCM
r2
m2 r1
So: RCM r1 r2 r1
M
y
where M = m1 + m2
x
Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 11
 System of Particles: Center of Mass

If the system is made up of only two particles:

m2
RCM r1 r2 r1
M
where M = m1 + m2

If m1 = m2

1 r2 - r1
RCM r1 r2 r1 + m2
2
m1 RCM
the CM is halfway between r2
r1
the masses.
y

x
Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 12
 System of Particles: Center of Mass

If the system is made up of only two particles:

m2
RCM r1 r2 r1
M
where M = m1 + m2

If m1 = 3m2

1 r2 - r1
RCM r1 r2 r1 m2
4 +
m1
the CM is now closer to RCM r2
r1
the heavy mass.
y

x
Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 13
 System of Particles: Center of Mass
Baton

The center of mass is where the system is balanced!

Building a mobile is an exercise in finding centers of
mass.

+ m1
+ m2
m1 m2

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 14

 System of Particles: Center of Mass

We can consider the components of RCM separately:

i m i x i i m i y i i m i z i
( X CM ,YCM , Z CM ) , ,

M M M

m2
m1
r
r1 RCM 2
y m3
r3
m4 r x
4
(In this case, N = 4)
Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 15
 Example Calculation:
Consider the following mass distribution:

i mi x i m0 ( 2 m )12 m24
X CM 12
M 4m

my m0 ( 2 m )12 m0 2m
YCM i i i 6
M 4m (12,12)

m m
(0,0) (24,0)

RCM = (12,6)

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 16

 System of Particles: Center of Mass

For a continuous solid, we have to do an integral.

dm RCM
rdm rdm
dm M
r
y where dm is an infinitesimal
x mass element.

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 17

 System of Particles: Center of Mass

We find that the Center of Mass is at the center of the

object.

y RCM
x

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 18

 System of Particles: Center of Mass

We find that the Center of Mass is at the center of the

object.

y The location of the center

of mass is an intrinsic
x
RCM property of the object!!
(it does not depend on where
you choose the origin or
coordinates when
calculating it).

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 19

 System of Particles: Center of Mass
We can use intuition to find the location of the center of
mass for symmetric objects that have uniform density:
It will simply be at the geometrical center !

+ + +
CM

+ +
+

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 20

 Pisa
System of Particles: Center of Mass
Bottle

The center of mass for a combination of objects is the

average center of mass location of the objects:
N
mi R i
RCM i 1
N
mi
+ m2 i 1

R2 - R1
+ R2
so if we have two objects:
RCM
+
m1R1 m2 R2
RCM
m1 m2
m1 R1
m2
y R1 R2 R1
M
x
Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 21
 Lecture 13, Act 1
Center of Mass
The disk shown below (1) clearly has its CM at the center.
Suppose the disk is cut in half and the pieces arranged as
shown in (2):
Where is the CM of (2) as compared to (1)?

(a) higher (b) lower (c) same

X
CM

(1) (2)
Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 22
 Lecture 13, Act 1
Solution
The CM of each half-disk will be closer to the fat end than to the
thin end (think of where it would balance).

The CM of the compound object will be halfway between the

CMs of the two halves.
This is higher than the CM of the disk

X X
CM X

(1) (2)
Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 23
 System of Particles: Center of Mass Double
cone
The center of mass (CM) of an object is where we can
freely pivot that object. pivot
+
CM
Gravity acts on the CM of an object (show later)

If we pivot the object

somewhere else, it will
orient itself so that the pivot
CM is directly below pivot

CM
the pivot.

+
CM
mg
This fact can be used to find
the CM of odd-shaped objects.
Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 24
 System of Particles: Center of Mass Odd
shapes
Hang the object from several pivots and see where the
vertical lines through each pivot intersect!

pivot
pivot
pivot

+
CM

The intersection point must be at the CM.

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 25

 3 pronged
Lecture 13, Act 2 object
Center of Mass
Fork, spoon,
and match
An object with three prongs of equal mass is balanced on a
wire (equal angles between prongs). What kind of
equilibrium is this position?

a) stable

b) neutral

c) unstable

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 26

 Lecture 13, Act 2
Solution
The center of mass of the If the object is pushed slightly to
object is at its center and is the left or right, its center of
initially directly over the wire mass will not be above the wire
and gravity will make the object
fall off

CM CM

mg mg

(front view)
Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 27
 Lecture 13, Act 2
Solution
Consider also the case in which the two lower prongs have
balls of equal mass attached to them:

CM
CM
mg
mg

In this case, the center of mass When the object is pushed slightly,
of the object is below the wire gravity provides a restoring force,
creating a stable equilibrium

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 28

 Velocity and Acceleration
of the Center of Mass
If its particles are moving, the CM of a system can also move.
Suppose we know the position ri of every particle in the system
as a function of time.
1 N
m i ri M N
mi
RCM
M i 1 i 1

dRCM 1 N dri 1 N
So: VCM mi mi v i
dt M i 1 dt M i 1

dVCM 1 N dv i 1 N
And: ACM mi m i ai
dt M i 1 dt M i 1
The velocity and acceleration of the CM is just the weighted
average velocity and acceleration of all the particles.

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 29

 Linear Momentum:

Definition: For a single particle, the momentum p is

defined as:
(p is a vector since v is a
p = mv
vector).

So px = mvx etc.

Newtons 2nd Law:

F = ma
d dp
m dv ( mv ) F
dt dt dt

Units of linear momentum are kg m/s.

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 30

 Linear Momentum:

For a system of particles the total N N

momentum P is the vector sum of P pi m i v i
the individual particle momenta: i 1 i 1

N
1 N
But we just showed that m i v i MVCM VCM mi v i
i 1 M i 1

So P MVCM

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 31

 Linear Momentum:

So the total momentum of a system of particles is just the

total mass times the velocity of the center of mass.

P MVCM

dP dV
Observe: M CM MACM m i ai Fi ,net
dt dt i i

dP
We are interested in so we need to figure out Fi ,net
dt i

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 32

 Linear Momentum:

Suppose we have a system of three particles as shown.

Each particle interacts with every other, and in addition
there is an external force pushing on particle 1.

Fi ,NET F13 F12 F1,EXT
i
m3
F31
F21 F23
F32

F31 F32 F13

F23
F1,EXT
(since the other forces m1 F12 F21
m2
cancel in pairs...Newtons
3rd Law) F1,EXT

All of the internal forces cancel !!

Only the external force matters !!
Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 33
 Linear Momentum:

Only the total external force matters!

dP
Fi ,EXT FNET ,EXT
dt i m3

Which is the same as:

dP m1
FNET ,EXT MACM m2
dt
F1,EXT
Newtons 2nd law applied to systems!

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 34

 Center of Mass Motion: Recap
Pork chop
We have the following law for CM motion:
Pendulum
dP
FEXT MACM
dt

This has several interesting implications:

It tells us that the CM of an extended object behaves like a

simple point mass under the influence of external forces:
We can use it to relate F and A like we are used to doing.
It tells us that if FEXT = 0, the total momentum of the system
can not change.
The total momentum of a system is conserved if there
are no external forces acting.

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 35

 Example: Astronauts & Rope
Two astronauts at rest in outer space are connected by a
light rope. They begin to pull towards each other. Where
do they meet?

M = 1.5m m

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 36

 Example: Astronauts & Rope...

M = 1.5m m
They start at rest, so VCM = 0.
VCM remains zero because
there are no external forces. CM
So, the CM does not move!
L
They will meet at the CM.
x=0 x=L

Finding the CM:

If we take the astronaut on the left to be at x = 0:

M ( 0 ) m( L ) m( L ) 2
x cm L
M m 2 .5 m 5

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 37

 Lecture 13, Act 3
Center of Mass Motion
A man weighs exactly as much as his 20 foot long canoe.
Initially he stands in the center of the motionless canoe, a
distance of 20 feet from shore. Next he walks toward the shore
until he gets to the end of the canoe.
What is his new distance from the shore.
(There no horizontal force on the canoe by the water).

20 ft
(a) 10 ft
before (b) 15 ft
20 ft (c) 16.7 ft
? ft

after
Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 38
 Lecture 13, Act 3
Solution
Since the man and the canoe have the same mass, the
CM of the man-canoe system will be halfway between
the CM of the man and the CM of the canoe.

Initially the CM of the system is 20 ft from shore.

X
X
x
20 ft

CM of system

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 39

 Lecture 13, Act 3
Solution
Since there is no force acting on the canoe in the x-direction, the
location of the CM of the system cant change!
Therefore, the man ends up 5 ft to the left of the system CM,
and the center of the canoe ends up 5 ft to the right.
He ends up moving 5 ft toward the shore (15 ft away).

15 ft 10 ft
X
X
x
20 ft 5 ft

CM of system

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 40

 Recap of todays lecture

Systems of particles (Text: 8-1)

Center of mass (Text: 8-1 & 12-6)

Velocity and acceleration of the center of mass (Text:8-3)

Dynamics of the center of mass (Text: 8-3 to 8-4)

Linear Momentum

Example problems

Look at textbook problems Chapter 8: # 3, 7, 17, 29, 35, 77, 111

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 41