CENTRE OF GRAVITY

Grade 10 Physics
Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be

able to:
• Understand the term centre of mass or
centre of gravity (COG)
• Recognize the factors that affect an
object’s stability
• Investigate how to find the COG of an
irregular and regular object
Centre of Gravity (COG)

The centre of gravity or centre of mass of an

object is the point through which the total
weight of the body is considered to act.
Centre of Gravity (COG)
In the example given, a heavy rod (ruler) is resting on a
pivot.
Each particle in the rod exerts a downward force as
shown. The sum of these downward forces is balanced
by an upwards force or reaction force (R) at the pivot.
We can represent the downward forces by a single force
W acting at the centre of the rod.

W = sum of the weights (force) of the particles

= Weight of the rod
 How to find the Centre of Gravity of
regularly shaped flat objects
A lamina is any thin flat object, whether regular or irregular.
Stability

Stability is a measure of how likely it is for an

object to topple over when pushed or moved.

Stable objects are very difficult to topple over,

while unstable objects topple over very easily.
Stability
The stability of an object is determined by:

• The position of its centre of gravity - The lower

the centre of gravity, the more stable the object.
The higher it is the more likely the object is to
topple over if it is pushed.

• The surface area of its base - The wider the

surface area of the base, the more stable the
object.
Thinking it through…
Why do racing cars have a wide wheel base and a low
centre of gravity?

• Racing cars have really low centres of gravity so that

they can corner rapidly without turning over.

• The lower the center of gravity the more the weight

will shift laterally (sideways), rather than upwards.
As a result, the more weight that remains on those
inside tires, the better they can grip the road and
the faster the turn can be made.
Thinking it through…
How can we make an object more stable?

An object can be made more stable by:

• Lowering its centre of gravity

• Giving it a wider BASE

Real-life Applications of Stability
Examples of Stability
QUESTION???
ANSWER
Stable, Unstable and
Neutral

Equilibrium
Equilibrium
A body is in stable equilibrium if, when it is given a
slight displacement, its centre of gravity rises and
returns the body to its base.

A body is in unstable equilibrium if, when it is given a

slight displacement, its centre of gravity falls and
makes it more likely to topple over

A body which stays in its new position when slightly

displaced is in neutral equilibrium.
Factors affecting the Stability of an object

1) Height of its centre of gravity

A lower COG gives more stability to an object

2) Width of its base/Size of the base area

An object with a large base has better support and
more stability compared to an object with a
smaller base.
Factors affecting the Stability of an object

3) Its weight

A larger weight increases the restoring moment of a

stable body thereby increasing its stability.
It also increases the likelihood of an unstable body
toppling over hence its stability decreases.
Factors affecting the stability of an object
Example:

• Go-karts have wide wheel bases and low centre

of gravity in order to be more stable.

• Large cargo buses have their baggage

compartments under the floor in order to lower
the centre of gravity of the vehicle and to
enhance stability.
Thinking it through…
Identify situations in which a double decker bus is
most likely to topple over?
The bus can topple over when:

• There is a large weight in the top section of the

bus. This gives the bus a high centre of gravity
which makes the bus unstable because the centre
of gravity is acting outside the base of the bus.

• There is a narrow base

Thinking it through…
Thinking it through…
Identify situations in which a car is most likely
to topple over?
The car can topple over when:

• The centre of gravity is low

When the centre of gravity falls outside the
wheel base, the car is unstable and so will topple
over the car.
Thinking it through…