University of Mosul

College of Engineering
Architectural Department
Lecturer: Tuqa Waleed Ahmed

* Centroids and Center of Gravity

Centre of gravity: Is the point at which the whole weight of the body may be
assumed to be concentrated. It is represented by CG. or simply G or C.
* A body is having only one center of gravity for all positions of the body.
* A body is composed of an infinite number of particles, and so if the body is
located within a gravitational field, then each of these particles will have a
weight dW (see Fig. 20).
* The center of gravity (CG) is a point which locates the resultant weight of a
system of particles or a solid body.
* From the definition of a resultant force, the sum of moments due to individual
particle weights about any point is the same as the moment due to the resultant
weight located at G.
* Also, note that the sum of moments due to the individual particle’s weights
about point G is equal to zero.
𝐳 𝐳
𝐝𝐖 𝐖

𝒛ത 𝒛ത

𝐱 𝐲ത 𝐱ത 𝐲 𝐱 𝐲ത 𝐱ത 𝐲

Fig. 20

Centre of Gravity
* The location of the center of gravity, measured from the y axis, is determined
by equating the moment of W about the y axis to the sum of the moments of the
weights of the particles about this same axis.
𝐳
* In Fig.21 if dW is located at a point x෤ , y෤ , z෤ , then:

𝒅𝐕 𝐆
xതW = න x෤ dW
𝒅𝐖

similarly: 𝐖
𝒛෤
𝐲෤
𝐱෤
𝐱 𝒛ത
yത W = න y෤ dW and zതW = න z෤ dW 𝐲ത
𝐲
𝐱ത

then the center of gravity G with respect to x,y,z axes Fig. 21

becomes:

‫ ׬‬x෤ dW ‫ ׬‬y෤ dW ‫ ׬‬z෤ dW

xത = , yത = , zത =
‫ ׬‬dW ‫ ׬‬dW ‫ ׬‬dW
 University of Mosul
College of Engineering
Architectural Department
Lecturer: Tuqa Waleed Ahmed

Centroid
* The centroid, C, is a point which defines the geometric center of an object.
* The centroid coincides with the center of mass or the center of gravity only if the material of
the body is homogenous (density or specific weight is constant throughout the body).
* If an object has an axis of symmetry, then the centroid of object lies on that axis.
* In some cases, the centroid is not located on the object (u-shape).

‫׬‬x dA ‫׬‬y dA ‫׬‬z dA

xത = , yത = , zത =
‫ ׬‬dA ‫ ׬‬dA ‫ ׬‬dA

Centroid of Lines, Areas and Volumes:

𝐳 𝒅𝐋 𝐳 𝐳
𝒅𝑨 𝐆

𝒅𝐕 𝐆
𝐳 𝐲 𝐋 𝐳 𝐀
𝐂 𝐲
𝒛ത 𝒅𝐖
𝐱ത 𝒛ത 𝐱ത
𝐱 𝐱 𝐖
𝒛෤
𝐲 𝐲 𝐲෤
𝐲ത 𝐲ത 𝐱෤
𝐱 𝒛ത
𝐲ത
𝐱ത 𝐲
𝐱 𝐱

‫׬‬x dL ‫׬‬y dL ‫׬‬z dL ‫׬‬x dA ‫׬‬y dA ‫׬‬z dA ‫׬‬x dV ‫׬‬y dV ‫׬‬z dV

xത = , yത = , തz = xത = , yത = , തz = xത = , yത = , തz =
L L L A A A V V V

Fig. 22

* Centroid of Composite Areas.

* In engineering work, we frequently need to locate the centroid of a composite area. Such an
area may be composed of regular geometric shapes like rectangle, triangle, circle, semicircle,
quarter circle, etc.
* In such cases, we divide the given area into regular geometric shapes for which the positions of
centroids are readily known. Let Ai be the area of an element and (෤x, y෤ ) be the respective centroid
coordinates.
* For the composite area : 𝐴 = 𝐴1 + 𝐴2 + ⋯ + 𝐴𝑛 → 𝐴 = Σ 𝐴𝑖
* The moment of the total area with respect to any axis will be the sum of the moment of its
regular geometric shapes with respect to the same axis.

My σni=1 Ai xi
xത = =
A σni=1 Ai

Mx σni=1 Ai yi
yത = = 𝐲 𝐲

A σni=1 Ai 𝐀𝟑

𝐱𝟑

෍𝐀 𝐀𝟏
𝐀𝟐
𝐱ത 𝐲𝟑
𝐂 =
𝐱𝟐
𝐲ത 𝐱𝟏
𝐲𝟐
𝐲𝟏
𝐱 𝐱
𝟎 𝟎

Fig. 23
 University of Mosul
College of Engineering
Architectural Department
Lecturer: Tuqa Waleed Ahmed

* Centroid of Common Geometrical Shapes.

int
EE iq
u
𝐲
𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐚 𝐱ത
I 𝐲ത 𝐲
𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐚 𝐱ത 𝐲ത
𝐡
𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐀 = 𝐛. 𝐡 𝐛/𝟐 𝐡/𝟐 𝐒𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐀 𝟎
𝐱 𝟒𝐫/𝟑𝛑
𝐫 𝐫 = 𝛑𝐫 𝟐 /𝟐
𝐱
𝐛
𝐲 𝐲

𝐫
𝐡 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐛. 𝐡 𝐱 𝐒𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐞
𝐀= 𝟐𝐛/𝟑 𝐡/𝟑 𝐀 𝟒𝐫/𝟑𝛑 𝟎
𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝟐
- 𝐱
𝐫 = 𝛑𝐫 𝟐 /𝟐
𝐛

𝐲
𝐲

𝐈𝐬𝐨𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐛. 𝐡 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐀

𝐡 𝐀= 𝐛/𝟐 𝐡/𝟑 𝟒𝐫/𝟑𝛑 𝟒𝐫/𝟑𝛑
𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝟐 𝐫 = 𝛑𝐫 𝟐 /𝟒

𝐛 - 𝐱
𝐱

𝐲
𝐲

𝐫 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐀 = 𝛑𝒓𝟐 𝟎 𝟎 𝐫 𝐀 = 𝛉𝐫 𝟐 𝟐𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝛉 𝟎

C𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫
𝛉
𝛉
𝐱 𝛉: 𝐫𝐚𝐝 /𝟑𝛉
𝐱

it IE
Edition
* Example: Determine the coordinates of the centroid of the area shown in the p
figure with respect to the given axes:
* Solution:
𝐲

¼ 𝟑𝐦

Shape A 𝐱ത 𝐲ത Aത
𝐱 Aത
𝐲 𝟗𝐦

1 2
Triangle ½ (6)(9) = 27 (6) = 2 (9) = 6 54 162
3 3 𝐱
4r 𝟎
π 2 9+( ) 145.218
Semicircle (3 ) = 14.14 3 3π 42.42
2 = 10.27
Sum 41.14 m2 96.42 m3 307.218 m3

800
σ Aതx 96.42 σ Aതy 307.218
xത = = = 2.34m yത = = = 7.47 m.
σA 41.14 σA 41.14

Eur
15 e
Ot na
 I University of Mosul

F
College of Engineering
Architectural Department
Lecturer: Tuqa Waleed Ahmed

* Example: Determine the coordinates of the centroid of the area shown in the
figure with respect to the given axes:
𝐲

* Solution:

Ñy 𝐫 = 𝟒 𝐜𝐦
𝟑 𝐜𝐦

𝐱
Shape A 𝐱ത 𝐲ത Aത
𝐱 A𝐲ത 𝟏𝟎 𝐜𝐦
𝐱ത

Rectangle 8(10) = 80 4 −1 320 −80 𝐲ത

Triangle ½ (3)(10) = 15 8+1=9 10 10

4− = 0.67 135 𝟖 𝐜𝐦
3
π 4 4
Semicircle − 42 = −25.13 4 4−( ) = 2.3 −100.52 −57.8
2 3π
Sum 69.87 cm2 354.48 cm3 −127.8 cm3

σ Aതx 354.48 σ Aതy −127.8

xത = = = 5.07 cm yത = = = −1.829 cm.
σA 69.87 σA 69.87

* Example: Determine the coordinates of the centroid of the area shown in the
figure with respect to the given axes: 𝐲

* Solution:

𝟑 𝐢𝐧.
𝟏 𝐢𝐧.

𝟔 𝐢𝐧. 𝟑 𝐢𝐧.

Shape A 𝐱ത 𝐲ത Aത
𝐱 A𝐲ത

Rectangle 6(3) = 18 3 1.5 54 27

1
Triangle 2
(3)(3) = 4.5 6+1=7 3/3 = 1 31.5 4.5

π 3 2 4 3 4 3
Q.circle = 7.1 − = −1.3 = 1.3 −9.2 9.2
4 3π 3π
π 1 2 4 1
Semicircle − = −1.6 0 = 0.4 0 −0.64
2 3π
Sum 28.0 in2 76.3 in3 40.06 in3

σ Aതx 76.3 σ Aതy 40.06

xത = = = 2.73 in. yത = = = 1.43 in.
σA 28.0 σA 28.0
 University of Mosul
College of Engineering
Architectural Department
Lecturer: Tuqa Waleed Ahmed

* Example: Determine the coordinates of the centroid for the area shown in the
figure. 𝐲

* Solution: 𝟐 𝐜𝐦

𝟔 𝐜𝐦

𝟐 𝐜𝐦
𝐱
𝟎

𝟑 𝐜𝐦 𝟒 𝐜𝐦

Shape A 𝐱ത 𝐲ത Aത
𝐱 A𝐲ത

π 2 4 2
Semicircle 2 = 6.28 2 6+ = 6.85 12.56 43.02
2 3𝜋
Rectangle 6(4) = 24 2 3 48 72

Triangle ½ (3)(6) = 9 −1 2 −9 18

π 2 4 2 4 2
Q.circle = 0.85 −9.89 2.67
− 2 = −3.14 4− = 3.15 3π
4 3π
Sum 36.14 cm2 41.67 cm3 130.35 cm3

σ Aതx 41.67 σ Aതy 130.35

xത = = = 1.15 cm. yത = = = 3.60 cm.
σA 36.14 σA 36.14