Centre of Gravity

Centre of Gravity
Anees Ahmed Vighio

Lecturer,
Civil Engineering Department
Muet Jamshoro
Centre of Gravity
• Every particle of a body is attracted by the earth towards its centre. The
force of attraction, which is proportional to the mass of the particle, acts
vertically downwards and is known as weight of the body.
• This point, through which the whole weight of the body acts,
irrespective of its position, is known as centre of gravity (briefly written
as C.G.). It may be noted that every body has one and only one centre of
gravity.
Centre of Gravity
Centre of Gravity Vs Centroid:
• Centre of Gravity :
Centre of gravity of a body is defined as the point through

which the whole weight of the body acts. A body can have only one centre of gravity for all
positions of the body. It is represented or denoted by C.G. or G.
Centroid:
The point, at which the total area of a plane figure (such

as rectangle, triangle, square, quadrilateral, circle etc) is assumed to be
concentrated, is called the centroid of that area. The centroid is also
represented by C.G. or G.
The centroid and centre of gravity are at the same point.

Methods for centre of gravity
• The centre of gravity (or centroid) may be found out by any one of the
following methods.
1. By geometrical considerations
2. By Moments
1. By Geometrical considerations
• The centre of gravity of rectangle or
parallelogram lies at a point where it
diagonals intersect.
• The centre of gravity of a triangle lies at a

point where the three medians of triangle
meet .
Note: median is a line joining the vertex and the

middle point of the opposite point.
Trapezium and Semicircle
Circular Sector and Hemisphere
Right Angle Triangle and Right
Circular Solid Cone
2. By moments
• But First understand moment or moment of
force
• It is the turning effect produced by a force ,on

the body which it acts. The moment of a force is
equal to the product of the force and the
perpendicular distance of a point about which
the moment is required and the line of action of
force. Mathematically
• Moment= Force X perpendicular distance.
2. By moments
• Centroid by moment method is based on the principal of taking moments
about any arbitrary point.
• Centroid by moment method states that “When a number of coplanar parallel
forces acts in a certain plane, then the algebraic sum of their moments about
any point in the same plane is equal to the moment of their resultant forces
about the same point.’’(Also called Varignon’s Principle of Moments or Law
of Moment)
• Moment method is most effective when the plane is irregular or when it is
not possible to divide large covered area into rectangles, triangles, circles,
• Consider a body of mass M whose centre of gravity is
required to be found out.
• Divide the body into small masses, whose centres of

gravity are known as shown in Fig
• Let m1, m2, m3....; etc. be the masses of the particles and
(x1, y1), (x2, y2), (x3, y3), ...... be the co-ordinates of the
centres of gravity from a fixed point O as shown in Fig.
• Let x and y be the co-ordinates of the centre of gravity of

the body.
• From the principle of moments, we know that

Axis of reference
• The centre of gravity of a body is always calculated with reference to
some assumed axis known as axis of reference (or sometimes with
reference to some point of reference).
• The axis of reference, of plane figures, is generally taken as the lowest

line of the figure for calculating and the left line of the figure for
calculating .
Centre of gravity of plane figures
• The plane geometrical figures (such as T-section, I-section, L-section
etc.) have only areas but no mass.
• The centre of gravity of such figures is found out in the same way as that
of solid bodies.
• The centre of area of such figures is known as centroid, and coincides

with the centre of gravity of the figure. It is a common practice to use
centre of gravity for centroid and vice versa.

Centre of Gravity

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Centre of Gravity

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Centre of Gravity

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Centre of Gravity

Anees Ahmed Vighio

Centre of gravity of a body is defined as the point through

The point, at which the total area of a plane figure (such

The centroid and centre of gravity are at the same point.

• The centre of gravity of a triangle lies at a

Note: median is a line joining the vertex and the

• It is the turning effect produced by a force ,on

• Divide the body into small masses, whose centres of

• Let x and y be the co-ordinates of the centre of gravity of

• From the principle of moments, we know that

• The axis of reference, of plane figures, is generally taken as the lowest

• The centre of area of such figures is known as centroid, and coincides

You might also like