COURSE:

CE 201 (STATICS)

LECTURE NO.:

42 & 43

FACULTY:

DR. SHAMSHAD AHMAD

DEPARTMENT:

CIVIL ENGINEERING

UNIVERSITY:

KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM

& MINERALS, DHAHRAN, SAUDI ARABIA

TEXT BOOK:

ENGINEERING MECHANICS-STATICS
by R.C. HIBBELER, PRENTICE HALL

LECTURE NO. 42 & 43

CENTROID OF COMPOSITE BODIES

Objectives:

To show how to determine centroid and center of

mass of the composite bodies

CENTROID AND CENTER OF MASS OF

THE COMPOSITE BODIES
What is composite body?
A composite body consists of a series of connected simpler-shaped
bodies, which may be rectangular, triangular, semicircular, etc.

Procedure for locating center of gravity of a body or the centroid

of a composite geometrical object
Using a sketch, divide the body or object into a finite number of
composite parts that have simpler shapes.

If a composite part has a hole, or a geometric region having no

material, then consider the composite part without the hole and
consider the hole as an additional composite part having negative.
Establish the coordinate axes on the sketch and determine the
coordinates x, y , z of the center of gravity or centroid of each part.

Determine x , y , z by applying the center of gravity equations

If an object is symmetrical about an axis, the centroid of the object
lies on this axis.

CENTROID AND CENTER OF MASS OF

THE COMPOSITE BODIES
Example of Composite Line Centroid
The given composite line can be divided into
following three parts having simpler shapes:

The coordinates x , y , z of each part and the products of coordinates and

length of each part are presented in the following table:
Segment

L (mm)

x(mm)

y (mm)

z ( mm)

 (mm 2 )
xL

(60) = 188.5

60

38.2

11310

7200

40

20

800

20

40

10

800

200

 ( mm 2 )
yL

 (mm 2 )
zL

 = 11310 mm2; yL
 = 5600 mm2; zL
 = 200 mm2
L = 248.5 mm; xL

CENTROID AND CENTER OF MASS OF

THE COMPOSITE BODIES
Example of Composite Line Centroid
 = 11310 mm2; yL
 = 5600 mm2; zL
 = 200 mm2
L = 248.5 mm; xL


xL
11310
=
= 45.5 mm
x=
L 248.5

yL
5600
=
= 22.5 mm
y=
L
248.5

zL
200
=
= 0.805 mm
z=
L 248.5

Ans.
Ans.
Ans.

CENTROID AND CENTER OF MASS OF

THE COMPOSITE BODIES
Example of Composite Area Centroid
The given composite area can be divided into
following three parts having simpler shapes:

A (ft2)

Segment

x (ft)

y (ft)

xA(ft 3 )

yA(ft 3 )

(3)(3) = 4.5

4.5

4.5

(3)(3) = 9

1.5

1.5

13.5

13.5

(2)(1) = 2

2.5

1
2

 = 14 ft3
 = 4 ft3; yA
A = 11.5 ft2; xA


xA
4
=
x=
A 11.5
= 0.348 ft Ans.

yA
14
=
y=
A 11.5
= 1.22 ft Ans.

CENTROID AND CENTER OF MASS OF

THE COMPOSITE BODIES
Example of Center of Mass of a Composite Body
x = y =0

The given composite body can be divided into following

four parts having simpler shapes:

For frustum of cone portion, = 810-6 kg/mm3 and for hemi-sphere portion, = 410-6 kg/mm3

 = 45.815 kg.mm
m = 3.141 kg; zm

z=


zm
45.815
=
= 14.6 mm Ans.
m
3.141

PROBLEM SOLVING: Example # 1

Locate the center of mass ( x , y , z ) of the four particles
shown above.

PROBLEM SOLVING: Example # 1

Let the coordinates of the center of
mass of the particles are x , y , and z

Values of coordinates x , y , and z can be

the
following
calculated
using
expressions:



xm
ym
zm
, y=
x=
z=
m
m
m

 = 23 m.kg;
 = 13 m.kg; ym
m = = 10 kg; xm
x=


zm

=0




13
23
0
xm
ym
zm
=
= 1.3 m Ans.; y =
=
= 2.3 m Ans.; z =
=
= 0 m Ans.
m 10
m 10
m 10

PROBLEM SOLVING: Example # 2

Locate the centroid ( x , y ) of the uniform wire bent in the
shape shown above.

PROBLEM SOLVING: Example # 2

The given composite wire can be divided into
following five parts having simpler shapes:
y
2
(50, 150)m m

3
(75, 130)m m

(0, 75)m m
4

(50, 65)m m

5
x
(25, 0)m m


xL
16500
=
L
480
= 34.37 mm Ans.

yL
41200
y=
=
L
480
= 85.83 mm Ans.

x=

 = 16500 mm 2 ; yL
 = 41200 mm 2
L = 480 mm; xL

PROBLEM SOLVING: Example # 3

The gravity wall as shown above is made of concrete.
Determine the location ( x , y ) of the center of gravity G of
the wall.

PROBLEM SOLVING: Example # 3

The given composite area can be divided into following

four parts having simpler shapes:
y

1
3.6m

0.4m

3.0m

0.6m

0.4m

3.0m

0.6m

1.8m

3.0m

0.4m

3.0m
4
0.4m

3.0m

0.6m

PROBLEM SOLVING: Example # 3

y

1
3.6m

0.4m

0.4m

A = 6.84 m 2 ;

3.0m

0.6m

0.6m

1.8m

3.0m

0.4m

3.0m

3

Ax
=
15.192
m
;

Ax 15.192
x=
=
= 2.22 m Ans.;
A
6.84

3.0m
4
0.4m

3.0m

0.6m

3

Ay
=
9.648
m

Ay 9.648
y=
=
= 1.41 m Ans.
A
6.84

PROBLEM SOLVING: Example # 4

Locate the distance y to the centroid of the members
cross-sectional area.

PROBLEM SOLVING: Example # 4

x =0

7.5 in

1.5 in
2

3
1 in

2.5 in

1 in

2.5 in

6.0 in

A = 17.25 in ; Ay = 44.25 in

2

Ay 44.25
y=
=
= 2.565 in Ans.
A 17.25

Multiple Choice Problems

1. y-coordinate ( y ) of the centroid of the composite area, as shown below, is

(a) 55.0 mm

(b) 97.5 mm

(c) 85.9 mm

(d) None of these

Ans: (c)
Feedback:

Ay 4
=
y=
A

(50) 2 25 + 110 15 105 +

(50) 2 + 110 15 +

(35) 2 177.5

(35)2

393112.39
=
= 85.9 mm
4575.6

Multiple Choice Problems

2. coordinates ( x , y ) of the centroid of the composite area, as shown below, is

(a) (3, 2) in

(b) (2, 3) in

(c) (4, 3) in

Ans.: (a)
Feedback:

Ax 6 2 5 + 2 6 1 72
=
=
= 3 in
x=
A
6 2 + 2 6
24
Ay 6 2 1 + 2 6 3 48
=
=
= 2 in
y=
A
6 2 + 2 6
24

(d) (3, 4) in