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JAMHURIYA UNIVERSITY OF
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Faculty of Engineering
Department:
of Civil Engineering
Engineering Mechanics
Chapter 9 : Center of gravity and centroid
Instructor: Eng. Abdiweli Ali Farah
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CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
To discuss the concept of the center of
gravity, center of mass, and the
centroid.
To show how to determine the location
of the center of gravity and centroid
for a system of discrete particles and a
body of arbitrary shape.
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CHAPTER OUTLINE

Concept of center of gravity

Concept of centroid
Composite bodies
Calculation of centroid

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Calculations

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Concept of center of gravity (CG)

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.

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Center of gravity (CG)

The center of gravity (CG) is a point, often
shown as G, 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’s weights
about any point is the same as the moment due
to the resultant weight located at G.

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Cont------

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Center of gravity (CG)

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. Jamhuriya University of Science &
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CONT--

If dW is located at point (x, y, z), then

x W =  x dW
Similarly
y W =  y dW
z W =  z dW

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CONT---
Therefore, the location of the center of gravity G
with respect to the x, y, z axes becomes

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Concept of Centroid
The centroid, C, is a point defining 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).
consider 3 specific cases:

1. LINE
2. AREA
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3. VOLUM
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CONT---
If an object has an axis of symmetry, then the
centroid of object lies on that axis.In some
cases, the centroid may not be located on
the object.

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LINE:-thin rod, wire

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AREA: plate, shell

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VOLUME

computing the “moment” of the elements

about each of the coordinate axes
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Centroids of common shapes of Area

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Centroids of common shapes of line

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Composite bodies
A composite body consists of a series of
connected “simpler” shaped bodies, which may
be rectangular, triangular, semicircular, etc.
Such a body can often be sectioned or divided
into its composite parts and, provided the weight
and location of the center of gravity of each of
these parts are known, we can then eliminate the
need for integration to determine the center of
gravity for the entire body.
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CONT---

X
 xA
Y 
 yA
A A

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Calculations
Example 1

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Calculations

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Calculations
Example 2
Using the method of composite areas, determine the location
of the centroid of the shaded area shown in Fig. (a).

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Calculations

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Calculations

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END
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