Solved: CALC In Section 8.5 we calculated the center of | StudySoup

Textbook Solutions for Sears and Zemansky's University Physics with Modern Physics

Chapter 8 Problem 115CP

Question

In Section 8.5 we calculated the center of mass by considering objects composed of a finite number of point masses or objects that, by symmetry, could be represented by a finite number of point masses. For a solid object whose mass distribution does not allow for a simple determination of the center of mass by symmetry, the sums of Eqs. (8.28) must be generalized to integrals

\(x_{\mathrm{cm}}=\frac{1}{M} \int x d m \quad y_{\mathrm{cm}}=\frac{1}{M} \int y d m\)

where x and y are the coordinates of the small piece of the object that has mass dm. The integration is over the whole of the object.Consider a thin rod of length L, mass M, and cross-sectional area A. Let the origin of the coordinates be at the left end of the rod and the positive x-axis lie along the rod.

(a) If the density \(\rho=M / V\) of the object is uniform, perform the integration described above to show that the x-coordinate of the center of mass of the rod is at its geometrical center.

(b) If the density of the object varies linearly with x—that is,\(\rho=\alpha x\) where is a positive constant—calculate the x-coordinate of the rod’s center of mass.

Solution

Solution 115P

Introduction

Here the density as a function of position is given, we have to calculate the position of the center of mass using the given formula.

Step 1

The position of the center of mass is given by

In the first case the density of the object is constant, and is given by .

Now the volume element will be

So the mass element can be written as

Hence the above integration will become

Solving the above integration we will have

Now we know that

Hence it is proved that the position of the center of mass will be at the geometrical center.

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full solution

Title Sears and Zemansky's University Physics with Modern Physics 13 
Author Hugh D. Young; Roger A. Freedman; A. Lewis Ford
ISBN 9780321696861

Solved: CALC In Section 8.5 we calculated the center of

Chapter 8 textbook questions

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