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Hoselton
Halliday, Resnick and Walker
Fundamentals of Physics
AP Physics C
Serway and Beichner
Physics for Scientists and Engineers
Page 1
AP Physics C
Serway and Beichner
Physics for Scientists and Engineers
Page 2
Using exactly the same logic and methods working on the y-coordinate this time, we will find
yCM = b
The coordinates of the center of mass are therefore; (a, b)
In general, then, the center of mass of any right triangle will be one-third of the way out from the
right angle along both sides.
Bonus: Is this a general result, i.e. true for all triangles (not just for right triangles)?
With any side serving as the base, the center of mass of any triangle is one-third of the way up the
altitude. That is a general result. This can be demonstrated even for obtuse triangles. The result is
not general in the sense that one integration will get an answer.
However, any triangle can be resolved into two right triangles and then the center of mass can be
located easily using this result for the right triangles and the simplest non-calculus method for the
larger triangle. Simply put all the mass of each right triangle at its center of mass and work out the
center of mass of the larger triangle using the non-calculus method;
xCM = (A1 x1 + A2 x2) / (A1 + A2)