4.4 Centre of Mass and Moments Flashcards
1
Q
what is the centre of mass?
A
the single point that you can consider the objects whole weight to act through
2
Q
how do you find the centre of mass by experiment?
A
- hang the object freely from a point
- draw a vertical line downwards from the pount of suspension
- hang the object from a different point and draw another vertical line
- the centre of mass is where the two lines cross
3
Q
what causes an object to topple over?
A
if the line of action of its weight (drawn down from the centre of mass) falls outside its base area, causing a resultant moment to occur
4
Q
what makes an object less stable?
A
the higher the centre of mass and the smaller the base area, the less stable the object will be
5
Q
why are the forces acting on different supports different?
A
the closer an objects centre of mass is to the support, the stronger the force on the support
