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Unit 6 Center of Mass

6.1 System of particles
6.2 Collision and the Newtons second law for a system of particles
6.3 Appendix Centers of mass of uniform bodies


6.1 System of particles

(1) Two particles in 1-D

Total mass: M m m = +
1 2

We set a reference zero O on the line along the particles.
Center of mass: x
m x m x
m m
m x m x
M
CM

+
+
=
+
1 1 2 2
1 2
1 1 2 2

If m m m
1 2
= = then x
m x x
m
x x
CM
=
+
=
+ ( )
1 2 1 2
2 2

1
x
2
x
d
1
m
2
m
x
0
2
(2) N particles in 1-D
x
m x m x m x
m m m m
m x
M
CM
N N
N
i i
i
N

+ + +
+ + + +
=
=

1 1 2 2
1 2 3
1


(3) N particles in 3-D
r
1 1 1 1
= ( , , ) x y z
r
2 2 2 2
= ( , , ) x y z

=
=
=

=
=
=
N
i
i i CM
N
i
i i CM
N
i
i i CM
z m
M
z
y m
M
y
x m
M
x
1
1
1
1
1
1
r r
CM i i
i
N
M
m =
=

1
1


(4) For continuous system

x
M
x m
CM i i
i
=

1
When m
i
0 x
M
xdm
CM
=

1

y
M
y m
CM i i
i
=

1
y
M
ydm
CM
=

1

In general,

= dm
M
CM
r r
1


Remarks:
The centre of mass could be outside the object.
1
m
2
m
3
m
1
r

2
r

3
r

O
M
i
m
i
r

x
Block
3

Example
Suppose the masses in the following figure are separated by 0.500
m, and that m
1
=0.260 kg and m
2
=0.170 kg. What is the distance
from m
1
to the center of mass of the system?

Answer:
Method 1:
We know that the center of mass lies on the line joining m
1
and
m
2
. Now, let O be the center of mass and x
1
be the distance
between m
1
and O. We can write
2 1 1 1
) 500 . 0 ( m x m x =
That is, ) 170 . 0 )( 500 . 0 ( ) 260 . 0 (
1 1
x x = , and we obtain
198 . 0
1
= x m.
This is the location of the center of mass.

Method 2:
We take an arbitrary point O as the origin which
has a distance a from m
1
. Hence, we can write
2 1
2 1
1
) 500 . 0 (
m m
a m a m
x a
+
+ +
= + , which gives
198 . 0
1
= x . The position of the C.M. is 0.198 m from m
1
.


Example (Challenging)
Find the center of mass of a ring.

Answer:

= xdm
M
x
CM
1
, Linear mass density = =
M
R 2

dm ds = = = = =

M dm ds R M 2
x R
y R
=
=
cos
sin

0 2 , ds Rd = Check ds R d R R = =

2 2
y
x
R
M mass =
m
1

0.500 m
m
2

0.500 x
1

0.500 m
x
1

m
1
m
2

C.M.
m
1

0.500 m
m
2

0.500 x
1

O
a
x
1

C.M.
4
0 sin
cos
cos
1
2
0
2
2
0
2
2
0
= =
=
=

M
R
d
M
R
d R R
M
x
CM
sin cos =

d
0 cos
sin
sin
1
1
2
0
2
2
0
2
2
0
= =
=
=
=

M
R
d
M
R
d R R
M
dm y
M
y
CM
cos sin =

d
r
CM
= 0

Example
You are given two rigid bodies, one block
and one disk. Find the center of mass of this
system.

Answer:
x
m x m x
m m
m d R
a
m m
CM
=
+
+
=
+ +
+
1 1 2 2
1 2
2
1 2
2
( )

y
m y m y
m m
CM
=
+
+
=
1 1 2 2
1 2
0

Example
Find the center of mass of a special disk. Note that a part
of it is empty.

y
x
d ds
x
R 2
R
A
B
y
2
m
1
m
a
d
R
x
Origin
y
Center of mass
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Answer:
The disk of radius 2R consists of two parts A and B, namely, the larger disk A, and the smaller
disk B (empty). The center of mass of the large disk is at 0 and , 2 = =
CA CA
y R x . The center
of mass of the smaller disk is at 0 and , = =
CB CB
y R x . Note that the mass of the smaller disk
is defined as negative.
R
m m
m m
m m
R m R m
m m
x m x m
x
B A
B A
B A
B A
B A
CB B CA A
CM

=
2 ) ( ) 2 (

Define the mass density =mass per unit area
R
R R
R R
x
CM
] 4 [
] ) 4 ( 2 [
2 2
2 2

=
R x
CM
3
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=
That is, the center of mass is R/3, from the center of the disk, as shown in figure.

6.2 Collision and the Newtons second law for a system of particles

Before collision After collision




If you are at the center of mass frame, you will see that the velocity of center of mass
2 1
2 2 1 1
2 1
2 2 1 1
) (
m m
m m
m m
m m
dt
d
dt
d
CM
CM
+
+
=
+
+
= =
v v r r r
v Does not change! (Why?)

For a system of particles
M
CM ext
a F =

F
ext
: Vector sum of all external forces.
M: Total mass of the system
a
CM
: Acceleration of the center of mass
e.g. For a two-particles system: a
a a r
CM
CM
m m
m m
d
dt
=
+
+
=
1 1 2 2
1 2
2
2

1
m
0
1
= v
2
m
2
v
1
m
2
m
'
1
v '
2
v
Internal forces
x
R 2
R
A
M
B
y
x
CM
Origin

6

There are three equations for a description of 3-D system, each for different direction
x, y, and z, e.g.
r
r r r
CM
n n
m m m
M
=
+ + +
1 1 2 2
, M m m m
n
= + + +
1 2

= + + + M m m m
CM n n
r r r r
1 1 2 2

Taking the second derivative with respect to t,
,
2 1
n 2 2 1 1
n
n CM
m m m M
F F F
a a a a
+ + + =
+ + + =

where F
i
is the total forces acting on particle i.
F F F
i i ext i
= +
( ) (int)

F
i (int)
The forces exerted by the particle within the system. e.g. action force or reaction
force.
As the action force and the reaction force come in pairs. We have
0 F
i
i(int)
=

M
CM ext
a F
When a body or a collection of particles is acted on by external forces, the center of mass
moves just as all the masses were concentrated at that point and it is acted on by a resultant
force which equals to the sum of the external forces on the system.

Example
The blocks are pulled apart and then released from rest. Discuss the center of mass of the
system after release.

Answer:

m
1

At any later time after release
x
m
2

v
1

v
2

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Since, there are no external forces acting horizontally, the motions of the blocks are due to
internal force (i.e. the restoring force of the spring), the center of mass does not change.
F
ext x ,
= 0 , P
x
is conserved.
At t = 0, P
x
= 0
At any later time: 0
2 2 1 1
= + = v m v m P
x
.

Example
Given a spherical shell of mass m and its inner radius 2R. A ball of mass m and radius R is
released as shown in figure. The ball will roll back and forth. What will be the displacement
of the shell when the ball is at the bottom of the shell?

Answer:
From Newtons second law
CM ext
m m a Reaction Normal g F 2 2 = + =

Along x-direction F
ext x ,
= 0
= a
ext x ,
0, a
dv
dt
=
constant =
CM
v
Originally, v
CM
= 0, it remains v
dx
dt
=
constant =
CM
x
Before release,
x
m m R
m
R
CM
=
+
=
0
2 2
( )

When the ball is at the bottom of the shell, x
m d m d
m
d
CM
=
+
=
( ) ( )
2
. Since there are no
external forces acting on the system horizontally, hence x
CM
does not move, that is x
CM
=R/2
=d. Or, we can say the shell moves R/2 to the left from its original position.


Frictionless surface
d
origin
2R
R
m
m
x
CM
x

x
Just before the
ball is released
The ball is at the
bottom of the shell
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6.3 Appendix Centers of mass of uniform bodies


Uniform body Position of center of mass on the axis of symmetry
Solid tetrahedron, pyramid, cone
4
h
from base
Hollow and without base
tetrahedron, pyramid, cone
3
h
from base
Arc subtending an angle 2 at center

sin r
from center
Semi-circular arc

r 2
from center
Circular sector subtending an angle
2 at the center

3
sin 2r
from center
Semi-circle
3
4r
from center
Solid hemisphere
8
3r
from plane face
Hollow without base hemisphere
2
r
from plane face