Centre of Mass

• Centre of mass of a plane lamina:

  • Make a hole in the lamina.
  • Hang it so it can swing freely.
  • Hang a plumb line in the hole and mark the line it passes through.
  • Repeat the procedure again to get another line
  • Their intersection point is the center of mass.
• Stability of simple objects:

  • The position of the center of mass affects an object’s stability. If the center of mass of an object is low, it is less likely to tip if tilted.
• To increase stability: (i) Increase surface area (ii) widen the base of the object.