Centre of Gravity Experiments | Interactive Physics Demonstrations

Centre of Gravity and Determination

Interactive experiments demonstrating the principles of center of gravity and how it affects stability and balance.

What is Centre of Gravity?

The center of gravity (COG) is the point where the total weight of the body is thought to be concentrated. It's the average location of the weight of an object. Understanding the center of gravity is crucial in determining an object's stability and balance.

1. Balancing Act

This demonstrates how objects balance around their center of gravity. The red sphere represents an object trying to balance on the blue platform.

Notice how the object oscillates around the center point - this is the center of gravity trying to align vertically with the base of support.

2. Center of Gravity Indicator

The green square represents an object, and the red dot shows its center of gravity. The pulsing animation highlights its location.

For regular, uniform objects, the center of gravity is at the geometric center. For irregular objects, it may be elsewhere.

3. Stability Comparison

The left object has a low center of gravity and is stable. The right object has a high center of gravity and is unstable.

Objects with lower centers of gravity are more stable because they require more energy to tip over.

4. Human Center of Gravity

The yellow figure represents a human, with the red dot showing the approximate center of gravity.

In humans, the center of gravity is typically around the pelvis area when standing straight. It changes with body position.

Determination of Centre of Gravity

To determine the center of gravity of an object experimentally, you can use the following methods:

• Plumb line method: Suspend the object from different points and draw vertical lines. The intersection is the COG.
• Balancing method: Balance the object on a narrow edge - the COG is directly above the balance point.
• Mathematical calculation: For simple shapes, calculate using geometric properties.

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