Chapter Objectives

• Concept of the center of gravity and the centroid

• Determine the location of the center of gravity and
centroid for a system of discrete particles and a body of
arbitrary shape

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Chapter Outline

1. Center of Gravity and centroid for a System of

Particles
2. Composite Bodies

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 Center of Gravity is for homogeneous body and
centroid is for non-homogeneous body. In other
words Centroid is the center of gravity along an axis

Y
WR  dW1  dW2  ...  dWn   dW
xn

X
x2
x1

X
dWn

dW1 dW2

WR
Moment area along Y axis
XWR  x1dW1  x2 dW2  ...  xn dWn   xdW ..........(1)
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dW  dVg  tdAg dW  dmg  dVg 
Similarly,
WR  tAg dW  dmg  dVg 
Putting the values in eqn.1
XWR   xdW

 X tAg   xtdAg  tg  xdA

 X A   xdA

X
 xdA  xdA
 , similarly Y 
 ydA
A  dA  dA
First moment of area is known as centroid.
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Centroid of an area of a continuous body

Centroid of an Area
• For centroid for surface area of an object, such as
plate and shell, subdivide the area into differential
elements dA ~x dA ~ydA ~z dA
  
xA ;y  A ;z  A
 dA  dA  dA
A A A

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Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd
The plate has a weight of 65 kg. Determine the centroid of the plate
and horizontal, vertical components of reaction at the pin A and the
force in the cord at B.

W  65  9.81  640 N  0.64kN

y  x2  x  y
dA  xdy  y dy
Centroid of the segment, x  x , y  y
2

Centroid of the whole plate, X 

 xdA
, Y
 ydA

 dA  dA
1 1
 2 32  2 2
 dA   xdy  
0
y dy   y   m
3 0 3

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 1
1y 
1 1 2
x y 1 1
 xdA   2
y dy  
0
2
y dy   ydy    
20 2  2 0 4
1 1 1
2 2 3 2 5
 ydA  0 y y dy  0 y dy   5 y  0  5
2

 xdA 1 3
Centroid of the whole plate, X   4
 dA 2 3 8
 ydA 2 5 3
Y  
 dA 2 3 5
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Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd
Composite Bodies

• Consists of a series of connected “simpler” shaped

bodies, which may be rectangular, triangular or
semicircular
• A body can be sectioned or divided into its composite
parts
• Accounting for finite number of weights

~
xW ~
yW ~
zW
x y z
W W W

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Composite Bodies

Procedure for Analysis

Composite Parts
• Divide the body or object into a finite number of
composite parts that have simpler shapes
• Treat the hole in composite as an additional
composite part having negative weight or size

Moment Arms
• Establish the coordinate axes and determine the
coordinates of the center of gravity or centroid of each
part
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 CONCEPT OF A COMPOSITE BODY

Many industrial objects can be considered as composite

bodies made up of a series of connected “simple” shaped
parts or holes, like a rectangle, triangle, and semicircle.

Knowing the location of the centroid, C, or center of

gravity, G, of the simple shaped parts, we can easily
determine the location of the C or G for the more complex
composite body.
Locate the centroid of the plate area.

= -

~
xA  4
x   0.348mm
 A 11 .5
~
y A 14
y   1.22mm
 A 11 .5
 Locate the centroid of the composite
area.
y

h/3 4r/3

h/3

=
4r/3
- -
6m

6m

5m
3m 10
m
3m

x x

A= Area(m2) x(m) y(m) Ax (m3) Ay(m3)

Rectangle 60 5 3 300 180
Triangle -4.5 1 5 -4.5 -22.5
Quarter Circle -7.07143 8.727273 4.727273 -61.7143 -33.4286
A =48.42857 A x =233.7857 A y=124.0714

~
x  Ax 233.7857 (m3 )
  4.827 m ~
y  Ay 124.0714(m3 )
  2.562 m
 A 48.42857(m2 )  A 48.42857(m2 )
 Locate the centroid of the composite
area.

yy
yy

= + + -
0.15 m
0.3+h/3=0.4 m
4r/3
0.15 m 0.15 m
0.15 m
h/3=0.1 m
-x x x x

A= Area(m2) x(m) y(m) Ax (m3) Ay(m3)

Rectangle 0.3x0.3=.09 0.15 0.15 0.0135 0.0135
Triangle 0.5x0.3x0.3=0.045 0.4 0.1 0.018 0.0045
Half Circle ½ x0.152=0.0353 -0.064 0.15 -0.00226 0.005295
Full Circle -x0.12=-0.0314 0 0.15 0 -0.00471
A =0.1389 A x=0.029241 A y=0.018585

x ~y   Ay  0.018585(m )  0.1338 m

~ Ax 0.029241 (m3 ) 3

  0.2105 m
 A 0.1389(m 2
)  A 0.1389(m2 )
 P9-53 Locate the centroid of the cross sectional area.

(0,90)

= + -

(0,30)
(0,25)

~
x 0m

~y   Ay  (60x10)(90)  (60x80)(30) - (50x60)(25)(mm )  123000  51.25m m

3

A (60x10)  (60x80) - (50x60)(mm2 ) 2400

Centroid of line

Centroid of a Line
• If the geometry of the object takes the form of a line,
the balance of moments of differential elements dL
about each of the coordinate system yields

~x dL ~ydL ~z dL
  
xL ;y  L ;z  L
 dL  dL  dL
L L L

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Locate the centroid of the rod bent into the
shape of a parabolic arc.

Differential element
Located on the curve at the arbitrary point (x, y)

Area and Moment Arms

For differential length of the element dL
2
 dx 
dL   dx  2   dy  2     1 dy
 dy   ~x dL 1 x 4 y 2  1 dy 
1
y 2
4 y 2  1 dy
xL  01  1
0

Since x = y2 and then dx/dy = 2y  dL 0 4 y 2  1 dy 0 4 y 2  1 dy

L

dL   2 y  2  1 dy 0.6063
  0.410m
1.479
The centroid is located at ~
x  x, ~
yy  ~ydL 1 y 4 y 2  1 dy
yL  01
 dL 0 4 y 2  1 dy
L

0.8484
  0.574m
1.479
Centroid of volume

Centroid of a Volume
• Consider an object subdivided into volume elements
dV, for location of the centroid,

~x dV ~y dV ~z dV
  
x V ;y V ;z  V
 dV  dV  dV
V V V

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