201: STATIC

EQUILIBRIUM
Centre of Gravity.
•All objects are made up of many particles.
•The weight of an object or body is due to the attraction of the Earth on
all these particles.
•There is one point in any object or body the whole weight seems to act and that point is
called the centre of gravity (CG) of the object or body.
•The centre of gravity: It is a point through which the entire weight of the object or body
appears to act.
•For regular object such as a uniform ruler, the centre of gravity is at its centre and when
supported in the middle, the object will be balanced (Diagram A).
•If it is supported at any other point, it will topple because there will be resultant moment
about the point of the support (Diagram B).

1 Diagram A Diagram B
•The diagrams below shows the positions of the centre of gravity for regular-shaped objects
with uniform thickness.
•If the line of action of the weight of an object does not go through the pivot, then a
moment exists that makes the object turn.
•The object will turn until it reaches a position where there is no moment.
•This fact enables us to find the centre of gravity of an irregular-shaped object.

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Investigating: Finding the centre of gravity of an irregularly-shaped thin sheet of card.
•A card is hung freely from a pin so that it can swing freely (Diagram A).
•The card will finally come to rest when the centre of gravity of the card is vertically below
the pin (Diagram B).
•A plumb line is hung in front of the card so that a vertical line AA’ can be drawn downwards
through the pinhole (Diagram C).
•The centre of gravity is somewhere along this line.
•The card is hung from a different point B and a second line BB’ can be marked on the card.
•Since the centre of gravity must lie on both lines AA’ and BB’, it is therefore at the point
where the two line cross.

3 Diagram A Diagram C
Diagram B
Stability.
Example: A book has six faces (two broad and four narrow faces). Suppose we make it stand
upright on one of its narrow faces. If we give it a slight push, it will topple and thus, the
solid is unstable (Diagram A and B). However, if we lay it flat on one of its broad faces, we
cannot topple it easily. If we lift the book slightly from one edge, it will fall back to its
original position and thus, the book is stable (Diagram C).

Diagram A Diagram B Diagram C

Stability: It is the ability of an object to return to its original position after it has been tilted
slightly.

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 Three cases of equilibrium.

Height of CG when Result

Types of Stability Examples
object is tilted

Stable Object goes

Higher up back to original
Equilibrium
position

Unstable Object topples

Lower down
Equilibrium over easily

Neutral Object is stable

The same
Equilibrium in any position

Conclusion: To increase the stability of an object,

1) its centre of gravity should be as low as possible.
2) the area of its base should be as wide as possible.

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Moment of a Force.
•In the diagrams, the force needed to pull a door open depends on where it is applied. A
greater force is needed if the door is opened near the hinge (Diagram A). Less force or effort
is needed if the door is opened furthest from the hinge (Diagram B).
•These diagrams can be drawn to help us study the
turning effect on a door.
•A line is used to represent the door. The door turns at
the hinge, which is a fixed point and is also called the Diagram A Diagram B

pivot. A small triangle is used to represent the pivot.

Arrows are used to indicate the forces being applied.
•The amount by which the door turns depends on 2 factors:
1) magnitude of the force used, and
2) Distance of the force applied from the pivot.
• Therefore, the turning effect can be measured.
• Turning effect of a force is also known as the moment of a force or torque.
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•The moment of a force (or torque) is the product of the force and the perpendicular
distance from the pivot to the line of action of the force.
•Moment of a force = Force x distance
=Fxd
where F = force in Newton (N)
d = perpendicular distance from the pivot in metre (m)
•S.I Unit: Newton-metre (Nm).
•The moment of a force is a vector quantity (has both magnitude and direction).
•The direction of the moment can be either clockwise or anticlockwise about the pivot.

•Although the magnitude of the force is the same in both cases, the torque is different. The
greater the perpendicular distance from the pivot to the line of action, the larger the
torque.
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Example 1: In the diagram, a force of 10 N is applied to a spanner to tighten a nut. The
length of the spanner is 0.2 m. What is the moment exerted when the force acts at (a) the
end and (b) the middle of the spanner?

Example 2: A student conducts the following experiment on a half-metre rule to feel the
turning effect of a force.
a) If the weight W (force) is placed at the 15 cm mark as shown, find the moment of the
force applied by the hand.

b) He then shifts the same weight W to the 5 cm mark and finds that it is more difficult now
to maintain the half-metre rule in a horizontal position than before in (a). Why is this so?
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Principle of Moments.
•Moments can be clockwise or anticlockwise.
•When an object is in equilibrium, the sum of clockwise moments about any point is equal
to the sum of anticlockwise moments about the same point.
•Conditions for Equilibrium:
1) All forces acting on the object are balanced (resultant force is zero).
2) The resultant moment about the pivot is zero (No turning effect).

Example 1: A metre rule is supported at its centre. It is balanced by two weights, A and B, as
shown in the diagram. If the weights of A and B are 40 N and 20 N respectively, find the
distance of the weight B from the support.

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Example 2: Kelvin and his mother sit on one side of a see-saw while Karen and her father sit
on the other side as shown in the diagram. How far from her father should Karen sit so that
the see-saw is balanced?

Example 3: The diagram below shows a type of diving board used at swimming pools. The
board is pivoted at P. A boy of weight 640 N stands directly above the point 1.8 m from P as
shown. A spring S holds the diving board in a horizontal position. Assuming the distance
between spring S and the point P is 0.3 m, calculate the force exerted by the spring to
balance the weight of the boy.

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