Tut 5

Centre of Mass
Equilibrium
Centre of Gravity
Q8.11

A yellow block and a red rod are joined together. Each object is of uniform density.
The center of mass of the combined object is at the position shown by the black “X.”
Which has the greater mass, the yellow block or the red rod?

A. The yellow block has the greater mass.

B. The red rod has the greater mass.
C. They both have the same mass.
D. Either A or B is possible.
E. A, B, or C is possible.
Q8.12

Block A on the left has

mA = 1.00kg mB = 3.00kg
mass 1.00 kg. Block B on
the right has mass 3.00 kg.
6.00 m/s

Block A is initially moving to the right at 6.00 m/s, while block B is initially at rest. The
surface they move on is level and frictionless. What is the velocity of the center of
mass of the two blocks after the blocks collide?

A. 6.00 m/s, to the right

B. 3.00 m/s, to the right
C. 1.50 m/s, to the right
D. zero
E. Not enough information is given to decide.
Q11.1

Which of the following situations satisfies both the first condition for equilibrium (net
force = 0) and the second condition for equilibrium (net torque = 0)?

A. an automobile crankshaft turning at an increasing angular speed in the

engine of a parked car
B. a seagull gliding at a constant angle below the horizontal and at a constant
speed
C. a thrown baseball that does not rotate as it sails through the air
D. more than one of the above
E. none of the above
Q11.2

A rock is attached to the left end of a uniform meter stick that has the same mass as the
rock. How far from the left end of the stick should the triangular object be placed so that
the combination of meter stick and rock is in balance?

A. less than 0.25 m

B. 0.25 m
C. between 0.25 m and 0.50 m
D. 0.50 m
E. more than 0.50 m
Q11.3

A metal advertising sign (weight w) is

suspended from the end of a massless rod
of length L. The rod is supported at one
end by a hinge at point P and at the other
end by a cable at an angle
from the horizontal. What is the tension in
the cable?

A.
B.
C.
D.
E. none of the above
Short Question 1
8.51 . Three odd-shaped blocks of chocolate have the following
masses and center-of-mass coordinates: (1) 0.300 kg, (0.200 m,
0.300 m); (2) 0.400 kg, (0.100 m, - 0.400 m); (3) 0.200 kg,
( - 0.300 m, 0.600 m). Find the coordinates of the center of mass
of the system of three chocolate blocks.
Short Question 2
Pluto and Charon. Pluto’s diameter is
approximately 2370 km, and the diameter of its
satellite Charon is 1250 km. Although the
distance varies, they are often about 19,700 km
apart, center to center. Assuming that both
Pluto and Charon have the same composition
and hence the same average density, find the
location of the center of mass of this system
relative to the center of Pluto.
Short Question 3
A 1200-kg station wagon is moving along a straight highway at
12.0 m/s. Another car, with mass 1800 kg and speed 20.0 m/s,
has its center of mass 40.0 m ahead of the center of mass of
the station wagon as shown in the Figure. (a) Find the position
of the center of mass of the system consisting of the two
automobiles. (b) Find the magnitude of the total momentum
of the system from the given data. (c) Find the speed of the
center of mass of the system. (d) Find the total momentum of
the system, using the speed of the center of mass. Compare
your result with that of part (b).
1200 kg 1800 kg
12.0 m/s 20.0 m/s

40.0 m
Short Question 4
A 0.120-kg, 50.0-cm-long uniform bar has a
small 0.055-kg mass glued to its left end and a
small 0.110-kg mass glued to the other end. The
two small masses can each be treated as point
masses. You want to balance this system
horizontally on a fulcrum placed just under its
center of gravity. How far from the left end
should the fulcrum be placed?
Short Question 5
Raising a Ladder. A ladder carried by a fire truck is 20.0 m
long. The ladder weighs 3400 N and its center of gravity is
at its center. The ladder is pivoted at one end (A) about a
pin as shown in the figure; you can ignore the friction
torque at the pin. The ladder is raised into position by a
force applied by a hydraulic piston at C. Point C is 8.0 m
from A, and the force F exerted by the piston makes an
angle of 40° with the ladder. What magnitude must F
have to just lift the ladder off the support bracket at B?
Start with a free-body diagram of the ladder.
F
12.0 m 8.0 m

B C 40° A