PHYSICS 103 Fall 2022

Lecture 6.
Tuesday, October 11
From point particles
Center of mass
to rigid bodies
๏ There is a point on the axe that completes simple projectile motion. In
fact, it moves as if it were a particle with the axe’s total mass subjected
to the same net force. This point is the axe’s center of mass (CM)!
From point particles
Center of mass
to rigid bodies
๏ There is a point on the axe that completes simple projectile motion. In
fact, it moves as if it were a particle with the axe’s total mass subjected
to the same net force. This point is the axe’s center of mass (CM)!
From point particles Defining the
to rigid bodies Center of mass
๏ So, what is the center-of-mass position of an object or a system of objects?
From point particles Defining the
to rigid bodies Center of mass
๏ So, what is the center-of-mass position of an object or a system of objects?
⌃mi~ri ⌃mi xi ⌃mi yi ⌃mi zi
~rCM = ) xCM = , yCM = , zCM =
M M M M
That’s basically an average position, weighted by masses!
A measure of the system’s mass distribution.
mA xA + mB xB
xCM =
mA + mB
B m
= m A <m
mA B

CM is in the middle CM is closer to B

From point particles Defining the
to rigid bodies Center of mass
๏ So, what is the center-of-mass position of an object or a system of objects?
⌃mi~ri ⌃mi xi ⌃mi yi ⌃mi zi
~rCM = ) xCM = , yCM = , zCM =
M M M M
That’s basically an average position, weighted by masses!
A measure of the system’s mass distribution.
mA xA + mB xB
xCM =
mA + mB
B m
= m A <m
mA B

CM is in the middle CM is closer to B

๏ Any rigid object can be treated as an infinite sum of continuous tiny particles.
Then, we can write generally the position of CM:

Z Z
1 1
~rCM = ~rdm = ⇢ (~r) ~rdV
M V M V

x
Center of Mass
Visualizing Examples
of Rigid Objects

CM

CM

CM
CM

CM
Center of Mass
Calculating Position
of Rigid Objects

๏ What is the center-of-mass position of a uniform thin rod?

L
Center of Mass
Calculating Position
of Rigid Objects

๏ What is the center-of-mass position of a uniform thin rod?

y L
Z Z L
dm 1 1
x
xCM = xdm = xdx
M M 0
Center of Mass
Calculating Position
of Rigid Objects

๏ What is the center-of-mass position of a uniform thin rod?

y L
Z Z L
dm 1 1
x
xCM = xdm = xdx
M M 0

Uniform linear density: = M/L

Center of Mass
Calculating Position
of Rigid Objects

๏ What is the center-of-mass position of a uniform thin rod?

y L
Z Z L
dm 1 1
x
xCM = xdm = xdx
M M 0

Uniform linear density: = M/L

1 ⇥ 2 ⇤L
xCM = x /2 0 = L/2
L
Center of Mass
Calculating Position
of Rigid Objects

๏ What is the center-of-mass position of a uniform thin rod?

y L
Z Z L
dm 1 1
x
xCM = xdm = xdx
M M 0

Uniform linear density: = M/L

1 ⇥ 2 ⇤L
xCM = x /2 0 = L/2
L
What about non-uniform linear density λ=λ(x)=cx/L2 ?
The constant c is not known a priori!
Quiz… Disk cut in half

The uniform disk shown below in (1) has its center of mass at its
center. Suppose the disk is cut in half and the pieces arranged as
shown in (2). Where is the center of mass of (2) as compared to (1)?
A. higher
B. lower
C. at the same place
D. need to know density to specify
E. there is no well-defined CM

(1) (2)

CM
Quiz… Disk cut in half

The uniform disk shown below in (1) has its center of mass at its
center. Suppose the disk is cut in half and the pieces arranged as
shown in (2). Where is the center of mass of (2) as compared to (1)?
✓ A. higher
B. lower
C. at the same place
D. need to know density to specify
E. there is no well-defined CM

(1) (2)
CM
CM
Center of Mass
Calculating Position
of Rigid Objects

๏ What is the center-of-mass position of a uniform thin metal sheet

shaped as a semicircle of radius R?
Center of Mass
Calculating Position
of Rigid Objects

๏ What is the center-of-mass position of a uniform thin metal sheet

shaped as a semicircle of radius R?

y Z Z
1 1
~rCM = ~rdm = ~rdA
M S M S

M 2M
x Uniform surface density: = =
A ⇡R2
Center of Mass
Calculating Position
of Rigid Objects

๏ What is the center-of-mass position of a uniform thin metal sheet

shaped as a semicircle of radius R?

y Z Z
1 1
~rCM = ~rdm = ~rdA
M S M S

M 2M
x Uniform surface density: = =
A ⇡R2

What is the surface element in polar coordinates?

Center of Mass
Calculating Position
of Rigid Objects

๏ What is the center-of-mass position of a uniform thin metal sheet

shaped as a semicircle of radius R?

y Z Z
1 1
dA=rdrdφ ~rCM = ~rdm = ~rdA
rdφ
M S M S
dr

dφ M 2M
x Uniform surface density: = =
A ⇡R2

What is the surface element in polar coordinates?

Motion of Newton’s Laws
Center of Mass for rigid objects

๏ What is the center-of-mass velocity in general?

Motion of Newton’s Laws
Center of Mass for rigid objects

๏ What is the center-of-mass velocity in general?

1 X 1 X 1 X
~vCM = ~r˙CM = mi~r˙i = mi~vi = p~i
M M M
But that’s the system’s/object’s
total linear momentum!
Motion of Newton’s Laws
Center of Mass for rigid objects

๏ What is the center-of-mass velocity in general?

1 X 1 X 1 X
~vCM = ~r˙CM = mi~r˙i = mi~vi = p~i
M M M
But that’s the system’s/object’s
total linear momentum!
1 ~
~vCM = P The center of mass has the velocity of a point particle with
M the total mass and momentum of the system/object.
Motion of Newton’s Laws
Center of Mass for rigid objects

๏ What is the center-of-mass velocity in general?

1 X 1 X 1 X
~vCM = ~r˙CM = mi~r˙i = mi~vi = p~i
M M M
But that’s the system’s/object’s
total linear momentum!
1 ~
~vCM = P The center of mass has the velocity of a point particle with
M the total mass and momentum of the system/object.

๏ How about center-of-mass acceleration?

¨ 1 ~˙ 1 ~
~aCM = ~rCM = P = Fext
M M
As conjectured, the translational motion of a system’s/object’s center of mass
the same as point particle of total mass M subject to the net external force.
 Momentum of
Extended Objects The “quantity of motion”

๏ Newton’s Second Law (system of particles/rigid objects):

External forces are responsible for changes
of an object’s total linear momentum.
X ˙ Trivia: In fact, this is the law’s original
~ ~
Fext = P form where Newton called
momentum the “quantity of motion”.
 Momentum of
Extended Objects The “quantity of motion”

๏ Newton’s Second Law (system of particles/rigid objects):

External forces are responsible for changes
of an object’s total linear momentum.
X ˙ Trivia: In fact, this is the law’s original
~ ~
Fext = P form where Newton called
momentum the “quantity of motion”.

๏ Law of Conservation of Linear Momentum:

The total linear momentum of an isolated system (=no external forces)
is always conserved! X
F~ext = 0 ) P~ = const.
 Collisions, explosions,
Conservation of Momentum and so much more…