• Categories of distribution-line, area , volume and mass

Application of Integration 4: Centre of Gravity and Centroids

• Centre of gravity/ Mass

• Centroids-line, area and volume by integration and composites
• Introduction
When force is distributed over a space is called distributed force. Depending on the nature of distribution there
are categories:
Line Distribution. When a force is distributed along a line. The specification of the load or force
distribution is stated in N/m

Area Distribution. When a force is distributed over an area, as with the hydraulic pressure of water against the
inner face of a section of dam, the specification is stated in N/m 2 or kN/m2. This intensity is called pressure for
the action of fluid forces and stress for the internal distribution of forces in solids.

Volume Distribution. A force which is distributed over the volume of a body is called a body force. The most
common body force is the force of gravitational attraction, which acts on all elements of mass in a body.
In all the three the resultant force acts through a particular point
 Centre of Gravity/ Centre of Mass
• 
 Cog cont’d
• With the substitution of
W =mg and dW =g dm, the
expressions for the coordinates of

the center of gravity become,

• They define a unique point in the

body which is a function solely of the distribution of mass. This point is called the center of mass, and
clearly it coincides with the center of gravity when gravity field is treated as uniform and parallel.

•The products xdm, ydm and zdm are called moments of mass.
•The position of the center of mass may be simplified by an intelligent choice of reference axes.
•Whenever there exists a line or plane of symmetry in a homogeneous body, the center of mass will
always lie on such a line or plane, since the moments due to symmetrically located elements
cancel each other.
 Centroids.

• When the Centre is of a purely geometrical property of the body, without any
reference to its mass properties. The Centre is called CENTROID.
•Examples of geometrical properties are line, area and volume
(a) Line
• For a slender rod or wire of length L, cross-sectional area A, and density ρ
dm = ρAdL with ρ and A are constant gives
•With constant A and ρ the coordinates of
the center of mass also become the coordinates
of the centroid C of the line segment
(b) Areas
•Is a surface with small thickness t and density ρ dm= tρdA
•For area with constant t and ρ for entire surface centroid and centre of mass
coincide given by
•The products xdA, ydA and zdA
are called first moments of area
• For all the centroids if the surface
lie in a particular plane such as x-y
only two coordinates need to be
calculated
(c) Volumes
• Elemental mass dm =ρdV
 Hint on Integrations
(1) Use first order differential elements than second and third order, to avoid
complex integrations.
(2) The task is to formulate an expression of the dependency of l,area and r on
variable y
 Examples - lines
•  • 
Centroid of semi circular arc Centroid of arc of quadrant
•  • 
 Examples- Areas
•  Example 4
Locate the centroid of the area of a
circular sector with respect to its
vertex: Answer
 5 Centroid of triangle from any base 6 Centroid of rectangle
•  • 
 7. Centroid of a circular sector 8. Apply the result to obtain centroids
•  • 
Apply result of circular sector to obtain • Quadrant area
• 
 Summary
 
Centroid Plane line Centroid Plane Area
Circular Arc Circular Sector
y= 0
 

Semi circular Arc Semi circular area

arc Qu

Lines makes a composite

a hence method for composite h measured from any base to
is applied the vertex
 Question on integration
•Locate the centroid of the area under the curve x = ky3 from x = 0 to x = a.