Irregular Object

Setup:

Hang Irregular Objects on Ring Stands through one of their holes. Hang a plum bob from the same hole.

Use chalk to trace the plum bob line through the object. Hang the object from a different hole and repeat this process until you have used all the holes. The center of mass is the intersection of all these lines.

Notes:

None

Courses Used In:

• PHY 10111

• PHY 10310

• PHY 10410

• PHY 30210

Discussion and Polling Questions:

• Where does gravity act on a rigid object?

• Why is the center of mass along the line of the hanging string?

• What would happen to the object if the center of mass was off to the side? What would the free-body diagram look like in this instance?

Equipment Needed:

• Ring Stand

• Irregular Shaped Objects Pieces

• Plum Bob

• Chalk