Centre of Gravity Lab Report No.

14

1- Abstract

Centre of gravity plays an important role in our lives, throw a ball and gravity will pull it back. So
we need to know about centre of gravity of objects, shape and other components because you do
not want an aircraft topple in midair because of its weight. We performed the experiment to find
centre of gravity of different shapes by using a centre of gravity apparatus and calculated the values
of COG for those shapes and concluded the difference between experimental and theoretical
values.

1
Centre of Gravity Lab Report No. 14

Table of Contents
1- Abstract ....................................................................................................................................... 1
2- Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 3
2.1- Gravity ................................................................................................................................. 3
2.2- Centre of Gravity ................................................................................................................. 3
2.3- Application .......................................................................................................................... 4
3- Theory......................................................................................................................................... 5
3.1- Determination of Centre of Gravity..................................................................................... 5
3.2- Plum Line Technique........................................................................................................... 6
3.3- Balance Point ....................................................................................................................... 7
4- Apparatus .................................................................................................................................... 7
4.1- Vertical Board...................................................................................................................... 7
4.2- Hanging Bob ........................................................................................................................ 8
4.3- Shapes .................................................................................................................................. 8
4.4- Marker ................................................................................................................................. 9
4.5- Scale..................................................................................................................................... 9
5- Objective ..................................................................................................................................... 9
6- Procedure .................................................................................................................................. 10
7- Calculations .............................................................................................................................. 10
7.1-Table-1 ................................................................................................................................ 12
8- Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 13
9- References ................................................................................................................................ 13

2
Centre of Gravity Lab Report No. 14

2- Introduction

What goes up must come down—that's one way of understanding gravity. We think of gravity as
a force that pulls things downward (toward Earth's center), but it doesn't always work like that.
Sometimes gravity can make things turn and topple over, especially if they are high up and
unbalanced. Tightrope walkers understand this better than anyone. Tiptoeing over the high wire,
they often teeter and wobble from side to side just to entertain us, yet they hardly ever fall off.
Instinctively understanding the physics of forces helps them staying firmly on the wire. If, like
them, you understand a simple concept called center of gravity, you'll find balancing is child's
play.

2.1- Gravity

Gravity or Gravitation is a natural phenomenon by which all things with mass are brought
towards (or 'gravitate' towards) one another including stars, planets, galaxies and even light and
sub-atomic particles. Gravity is responsible for the complexity in the universe, by creating spheres
of hydrogen, igniting them under pressure to form stars and grouping them into galaxies. Without
gravity, the universe would be an uncomplicated one, existing without thermal energy and
composed only of equally spaced particles. On Earth, gravity gives weight to physical objects and
causes the tides. Gravity has an infinite range, and it cannot be absorbed, transformed, or shielded
against.

2.2- Centre of Gravity

Throw a ball in the air and gravity pulls it straight back down. Not everything moves like this when
gravity acts on it. Most objects are not nice, neat shapes like balls. That means gravity acts on them
in more complex ways. Even so, all objects behave as though their mass (the stuff they're made
from) is concentrated at a point called their center of gravity. A simple object like a ball has its
center of gravity in a very obvious place: right at its center. But in a more complex object, like
your body, the center of gravity is slightly higher than your waist because there's more weight in
the top half of your body than in the bottom half.

3
Centre of Gravity Lab Report No. 14

Figure 1

The center of gravity is a geometric property of any object. The center of gravity is the average
location of the weight of an object. We can completely describe the motion of any object through
space in terms of the translation of the center of gravity of the object from one place to another,
and the rotation of the object about its center of gravity if it is free to rotate. If the object is confined
to rotate about some other point, like a hinge, we can still describe its motion. In flight, both
airplanes and rockets rotate about their centers of gravity. A kite, on the other hand, rotates about
the bridle point. But the trim of a kite still depends on the location of the center of gravity relative
to the bridle point, because for every object the weight always acts through the center of gravity.

2.3- Application

A lower center of gravity helps prevent an object—such as an automobile—from tipping over.

When you tilt an object on an edge, it will tip over only when the center of gravity lies outside the
supporting base of the object.

4
Centre of Gravity Lab Report No. 14

Figure 2

Objects that are heavier toward the bottom have a lower center of gravity and are thus more
difficult to tip over. Automobiles and trucks have a lower center of gravity to improve their
stability.

3- Theory

3.1- Determination of Centre of Gravity

The point at which the entire weight of a body may be considered as concentrated so that if
supported at this point the body would remain in equilibrium in any position. In physics, a center
of gravity of a material body is a point that may be used for a summary description of gravitational
interactions. In a uniform gravitational field, the center of mass serves as the center of gravity.
This is a very good approximation for smaller bodies near the surface of Earth, so there is no
practical need to distinguish "center of gravity" from "center of mass" in most applications, such
as engineering and medicine.

In a non-uniform field, gravitational effects such as potential energy, force, and torque can no
longer be calculated using the center of mass alone. In particular, a non-uniform gravitational field
can produce a torque on an object, even about an axis through the center of mass. The center of
gravity seeks to explain this effect. Formally, a center of gravity is an application point of
the resultant gravitational force on the body. Such a point may not exist, and if it exists, it is not
unique. One can further define a unique center of gravity by approximating the field as either
parallel or spherically symmetric.

5
Centre of Gravity Lab Report No. 14

The center of gravity for objects with regular shapes, such as squares, cubes, circles and spheres,
is at their geometric centers. For other shapes or configurations, you need to either use
experimentation or calculation. It is easier to determine the center of gravity of many objects by
experimentation than by calculation.

Figure 3

3.2- Plum Line Technique

When an object is suspended so that it can move freely, its center of gravity is always directly
below the point of suspension. You can find the center of gravity in an object experimentally by
hanging it from several points and using a plumb line to mark the vertical line. The intersection of
two or more vertical lines from the plumb line is the center of gravity for the object.

Figure 4

6
Centre of Gravity Lab Report No. 14

This procedure is relatively easy for a flat object. However, it can be more difficult if the object has some
shape in the three dimensions.

3.3- Balance Point

For some objects, you can find its balance point through experimentation. For the object in the
illustration above, the balance point could easily be found. However, it would be difficult to find
the balance point for an object with curved surfaces.

Figure 5

4- Apparatus

4.1- Vertical Board

Vertical board is used to hang the irregular shape body i.e. given shapes and at the same pivot
point the vertical hang bob is attached.

Figure 6

7
Centre of Gravity Lab Report No. 14

4.2- Hanging Bob

Hanging bob is used as a reference line for the marking of center of gravity line on the shape, it is
hanged along with flexible thread and bob has a constant weight which is always directed towards
ground.

Figure 7

4.3- Shapes

We can find the center of gravity of gravity of different shape they may be in any shape but its
thickness should be constant or uniform.

8
Centre of Gravity Lab Report No. 14

4.4- Marker

Marker is used for the marking of line with reference with the thread attached with bob.

Figure 8

4.5- Scale

Scale is used to measure the parameters of the different shape given.

Figure 9

5- Objective

The objective of this experiment is to find the center of gravity of different shaped objects by using
respective formulae for the objects and also through figures in the experiment.

9
Centre of Gravity Lab Report No. 14

6- Procedure

1. Take a body (having holes at its ends so that it can be hanged) of any shape and hang it on
a stand.
2. Take a plumb line and suspend it from that point from which we hanged the body.
3. Now make a straight line with the help of plumb line on the body.
4. Repeat the same procedure from different holes of the body.
5. We get a point at which all lines meet.
6. That point will be the Centre of gravity of that particular body.

7- Calculations

1.
G=r
G = R = ____ mm (Theoretical)
G = R = ____ mm (Practical)
𝐺(Theoretical) − 𝐺(Practical)
%age Error = × 100
𝐺(Theoretical)
%age Error = ____ %

10
Centre of Gravity Lab Report No. 14

2.
b = ____mm
a = ____mm
h = ____mm
𝑏+2𝑎
𝐺 = [ 3(𝑎+𝑏)] ∗ ℎ

____ + 2(____)
𝐺= × 150
3(____ + ____)
𝐺 = ____𝑚𝑚 (Theoretical)
𝐺 = ____ 𝑚𝑚 (Practical)
𝐺(Theoretical) − 𝐺(Practical)
%age Error = × 100
𝐺(Theoretical)
%age Error = ____ %

3.
h
G = 3
h = ____mm
____
𝐺=
____
𝐺 = ____ 𝑚𝑚 (Theoretical)
𝐺 = ____ 𝑚𝑚 (Practical)
𝐺(Theoretical) − 𝐺(Practical)
%age Error = × 100
𝐺(Theoretical)
%age Error = ____ %

11
Centre of Gravity Lab Report No. 14

4.
4𝑟
𝐺 = 3𝜋
R = ____mm
4 × ____
𝐺=
3 × 3.14
𝐺 = ____ 𝑚𝑚 (Theoretical)
𝐺 = ____ 𝑚𝑚 (Practical)
𝐺(Theoretical) − 𝐺(Practical)
%age Error = × 100
𝐺(Theoretical)
%age Error = ____ %

7.1-Table-1

Object Theoretical Practical

12
Centre of Gravity Lab Report No. 14

8- Conclusion

In this experiment center of gravity of different objects were found with the help of Plumb line.
Objects which have masses unequally distributed were under observation during the experiment.
And we found that the objects having regular shapes have their center of gravity inside the body
while objects having irregular shape have their center of mass outside the body.

9- References

1. www.cyberphysics.com
2. www.physicscity.com
3. www.google.com/images

13