Consider this example

L/3 2L/3

L/2

M(x) Centroid

L/2 Mc

M( x )

 = L2/4, Mc = L/3
L

 M( x ) M( x )dx  M
0
c

Another example
M(x )

PL

L
M(x )

L/2

L/2
find
L


0
M ( x ) M ( x )dx

Do you think M(x)

is linear for 0<x<L ?
M(x )

PL
1 2
 L
M(x )

L/2

L/2
L L/2 L


0
M ( x ) M ( x )dx 
0
M ( x ) M ( x )dx 

L/2
M ( x ) M ( x )dx

L/2

Mc,1 =0  
0
M ( x ) M ( x )dx  M c,1  0

How about Mc,2 ?

M(x )
Xo

PL
PL/2 2

L/2
M(x )
 Mc,2
L/2

L
L/2
 M(x )M(x )dx  
L/2
2 M c, 2

2 = ½(PL/2 + PL) L/2

Mc,2 =xo/(L/2)  L/2
We use the standard table to find xo
Another method
1/3L/2
M(x ) 1/3L/2

PL
2,a
PL/2 2,b

L/2
M(x )

Mc,2b
Mc,2a

L
L/2
 M(x )M(x)dx  
L/2
2, a M c ,2, a   2, b M c,2, b

2,a = ½(PL/2  L/2 ); 2,b = ½(PL  L/2 )

Mc,2b = 2/3(L/2); Mc,2a = 1/3( L/2)

Another example
M(x )

1.25PL PL

0.75L 0.75L
M(x )

find
L


0
M ( x ) M ( x )dx

Hint : cut M(x) into two triangles

M(x )

0.75PL
1 PL
0.5PL 2
 0.75L 0.75L
M(x )

1.5L

 M(x )M(x )dx   M

0
1 c,1   2 M c, 2

Where are the centriods of the two

triangles in M(x) ?

M(x )
L
0.75PL
1 PL
0.5PL 2

0.75L 0.75L
M(x )

Mc,2
Mc,1

Mc,1 = 0.5L; Mc,2 = 2/3L

1 = ½(0.75PL  1.5L); why ?

2 = ½(PL  1.5L)

M(x )

0.75PL

H1
1
B1


1.5L
1=½ H1 B1

H1 = 0.75PL cos()
B1 = 1.5L/cos()

Therefore, 1= ½(0.75PL  1.5L)

Standard Tables