Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Three particles lie in the plane: at , at and at . Where is their centre of mass?
The centre of mass is the mass-weighted average position: , and the same for and . For a continuous body, . A hole can be treated as a negative mass.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Given. .
Step 1. . , so .
Step 2. . , so .
Answer: .
Check. It lies nearest the heaviest particle, at , as it should.
Watch out. Negative coordinates are where most slips happen. Write each product with its sign.
Log in to join the discussion.
Loading…