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center of mass
center of mass the point at which all the mass of a body may be considered to be concentrated in analyzing its motion. The center of mass of a sphere of uniform density coincides with the center of the sphere. The center of mass of a body need not be within the body itself; the center of mass of a ring or a hollow cylinder is located in the enclosed space, not in the object itself. Under the action of a constant force of gravity, a body suspended or balanced at its center of mass will be stable; there will be no net moment acting on it. Sometimes a problem may be analyzed from the point of view of the center of mass of an entire system of objects, such as several colliding elementary particles or a multiple-star system. For example, the complex motions of the earth and moon about the sun become somewhat simpler when viewed from the common center of mass of the earth-moon system, located about 1,000 mi (1,600 km) below the earth's surface. It is this point that is moving in an elliptical orbit around the sun rather than the center of mass of the earth alone. |
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"center of mass." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "center of mass." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-centerma.html "center of mass." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-centerma.html |
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centre of mass
centre of mass The point in a body or system of bodies which acts as if all the mass were concentrated there; also known as centre of inertia. The gravitational force between two massive bodies acts along the line joining their centres of mass. For a sphere of uniform density, or a sphere whose density varies radially from the centre, the centre of mass is at the centre of the sphere. In a uniform gravitational field, a body's centre coincides with its centre of gravity.
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"centre of mass." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "centre of mass." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O80-centreofmass.html "centre of mass." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O80-centreofmass.html |
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centre of mass
centre of mass Point at which the whole mass of an object or group of objects is considered to be concentrated. A centre of mass would therefore exist for colliding elementary particles. Isaac Newton first proved his inverse-square law of gravitation by assuming the respective masses of the Earth and Moon were located at their centres.
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"centre of mass." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "centre of mass." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-centreofmass.html "centre of mass." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-centreofmass.html |
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