Center of Gravity

Recall:
What is weight?
-is the gravitational force exerted
on the body.

What is matter?
-is anything that has mass and
volume.
-made up of tiny particles.

Center of Gravity (COG)

Definition
-The Point located at an objects average
position of the weight
- Imaginary point where the total weight of a
material body may be thought to be
concentrated.
- The resultant force or the sum of the weights
of all the particles that compose the matter
may be considered as concentrated at one
point.
- In other words. The center of an objects
weight

Center of Gravity for

Uniform Objects

The center of gravity of regular

shape objects is at their
geometric centers.

Finding the center of

gravity of Nonuniform
objects
The center of gravit y of
an irregularly shaped
object can be found by
suspending it from two
or more points.

Where C.O.G. is located

Generally found in the

middle of all the weight

Does not even have to be
within, the object itself
Ex. boomerang

Will be located toward

one side of an object

where most of its mass is
focused
Ex. Weebles

COG

gravit
y

Weebles Wobble, but they

dont fall down???
Weebles have very low COG
Whenever rolling it will roll to a

stop when its COG is as low as

possible

This occurs when it is standing upright

Also occurs for inflatable toy clowns

Objects with a low COG are less

likely to topple because of this

principle

Higher COG is, the easier to

topple

Balancing Stuff
Again, all that has to happen to

balance, is for a support to be

directly beneath COG

Equilibrium
- is a state of balance.

Types of Equilibrium
Dynamic Equilibrium
-if the body is in uniform motion.
Static Equilibrium
-if the body is at rest.

Three States of
Equilibrium
Stable
-occurs when an object is placed in such a
position that any disturbance effort would raise
its COM (center of mass)
tend to fall back its original position.

Unstable
occurs when an object is placed in

such a position that any disturbance

effort would lower its COM
tend to fall into a more stable
position

Neutral
occurs when an object is placed in

such a position that any disturbance

effort would not change the level of
its COM
tend to fall into a more stable
position

C.O.G.
When objects rotate freely they must rotate

about an axis through the COG

Basically treat the object as if all its weight

is concentrated at that one pt.

In class demos

C.O.G. --Balancing
For an object to balance,

and not topple support

must be directly below
C.O.G.

Advantage of low COG

Athletic advantages
wrestlingharder to takedown
Football

Both easier to drive power

through their legs

SUVs

. Tip over all the

time b/c COG is too high
ESUVEE
Farmers tractors

Much more control in all

vehicles w/ low COG

 Deadliest Catch
Pots on deck and freezing

ice make boat top heavy

more likely to roll and sink
Ballast tanks at bottom help
lower boats COG

Animals
Low COG

High COG

T. Rex

& Tails

Humans - Where is our

Just below our belly
COG?
button
Notice, support always
below COG
Bipedalism??
Only mammals w/ this

ability to walk on 2 legs

Because of Evolution
and how our legs
changed to balance
between steps is why
we are only mammals to
walk

 Because our

legs/hips evolved
so that our
support base
(feet) were close
together allows us
to be bipedal
Apes and our early

ancestors hips
were constructed
differently with a
wide set base.
Impossible to walk

bipedal

Hip
protruding
from joint.
Creates
inward angled
femurs
Which makes
feet close
together.
Providing a
stable/efficien
t base for
walking

How to find COG.

Picking up Chair Demo

Boys

vs.

Girls

Why girls can do this but boys

cant??
Different weight distribution of body

types