Republic of the Philippines

Mountain Province State Polytechnic College

Bontoc, Mountain Province

ROTATION

Module 5 of 8 Modules

General Physics

Elsa B. Daguio
CP #: 09074186867
Messenger account: Herzelle Bag-ay Daguio

Engineering Department

First Semester, School Year 2022-2023

INTRODUCTION

This module covers the concepts on angular quantities of motion, centripetal

force, and center of gravity. The activities here are designed for all students, regardless
of gender and cultural background. The number of hours allotted for this module shall
be 14 hours.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the module, you should be able to:

1. relate linear quantities of motion to angular quantities of motion;
2. calculate the rotation, angular velocity and angular acceleration of rotating
objects applying the given formulas;
3. compute the centripetal force of a body in circular motion applying the
given formulas;
4. calculate the tension on the string of a rotating object applying the given
formulas; and
5. locate the center of gravity of plane and solid objects.

PRETEST

Let see if you can distinguish rotation from revolution. From the given pictures
below, encircle the letter of the picture that shows rotation and box the letter of the
picture that shows revolution. Submit a copy of this together with the other activities
in this module.
A B

(Gleiser, 2013) (Stephens, 2018)

The Earth Riders on the Roller Coaster

C D

(Rivera, 2017) (Cruz, 2019)

The Ferris Wheel The Car Wheel

E

1
 (Hameed, 2018)

The Earth around the Sun

(Brown, 2019)
Riders on the Carousel

2
LESSON 1: ANGULAR QUANTITIES OF MOTION

Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
1. calculate the tangential, radial, and resultant acceleration of a rotating
object applying the given formulas; and
2. determine the angular velocity and angular acceleration of a rotating object
applying the given formulas.

LET’S ENGAGE

Which moves faster on a merry – go – round, a horse near the outside rail or the one
near the inside rail?

(Bullock, 2018)

LET’S TALK ABOUT IT

For the ancient Greeks the circle symbolized perfection. The fact that the sun,
moon and stars appeared to move around the Earth in circular paths was evidence of
their status as „heavenly bodies‟. Circular motion was supposedly their natural state.
Today we know that the Greek picture of how things move was wrong. The „natural
state‟ of any body, heavenly or otherwise, is motion in a straight line at constant speed
unless it is subject to a force. Why then do we need to study circular motion?
Although we don‟t regard movement in a circle with the same reverence as did the
ancient Greeks, it is still a very useful concept. There are many situations in nature
which approximate to circular motion; the motion of the Earth around the Sun, the
orbits of the Moon and artificial satellites around the Earth, fairground rides, cars
going around bends and the internal workings of washing machines are just some
examples which come to mind.

The rotating merry – go – round turns around an axis. An axis is the straight
line around which rotation takes place. When an object turns about an internal axis –
that is an axis located within the body of the object – the motion is called rotation, or
spin.

3
 When an object turns about an external axis, the motion is called revolution.
Although the platform of the merry – go – round rotates, the horses along the
platform‟s outer edge revolve about its axis.

Rotational Speed

Linear speed, which we simply called speed in Lesson 3 of Module 1, is the

distance moved per unit of time. A point on the outer edge of a merry – go – round or
turntable moves a greater distance in one complete rotation than a point near the
center. The linear speed is greater on the outer edge of a rotating object than it is
closer to the axis. Thus, the horse near the outside rail of the merry – go – round
moves faster than the horse near the inside rail in terms of their linear speeds.
The speed of something moving along a circular path can be called tangential speed
because the direction of motion is always to the circle. For circular motion, we can use
the terms linear speed and tangential speed interchangeably.
Rotational speed (sometimes called angular speed) is the number of rotations
per unit of time. All parts of the rigid merry – go – round rotate about their axis in the
same amount of time. Thus, all parts have the same rate of rotation, or the same
rotational speed. This is expressed in either revolutions per minute (rpm) or radians per
second.

Tangential speed and rotational speed are related. Tangential speed is directly
proportional to the rotational speed and the radial distance from the axis of rotation.
Or, in equation form,

Where:
tangential speed or linear speed
rotational speed or angular speed
radial distance or the radius of the circle

At the center of the rotating platform, right at its axis, you have no tangential
speed at all, but you do have rotational speed. You merely rotate. As you move away
from the center, you move faster and faster – your tangential speed increases while
your rotational speed stays the same. Move out twice as far from the center, and you
have twice the tangential speed. Move out three times as far, and you have three times
as much tangential speed.

Angular Motion

In purely rotational motion, all points on the object move in circles around the
axis of rotation (“O”) as shown in Figure 12.1. All points on a straight line drawn
through the axis move through the same angle at the same time. The angular
displacement in radians is defined:

Where:
rotation or angular displacement (in rpm or rad/s)
linear displacement (in meter/feet)
radius of the circle (in meter/feet)

4
 𝜔 B

ω S
A A

Figure 12.1: A point P revolving around the axis of rotation “O”.

The rate of change of angular displacement is called angular velocity ( ). As

the particle in the figure moves from A to B, its displacement changes with time. Or, in
equation form,

The angular acceleration ( )of an object about any point is the rate of change
of angular velocity about that point. As the particle in the figure moves from A to B, its
angular velocity changes with time. Or, in equation form,

Where:
change in angular displacement
initial angular velocity
final angular velocity
time interval in seconds

If the angular velocity of a rotating object changes, it has a tangential

acceleration as shown in Figure 12.2. Even if the angular velocity is
( )
constant, each point on the object has a radial acceleration . The

resultant linear acceleration is given by √ .

Figure 12.2: Tangential and Radial Components of Acceleration.

5
Table 12.1: Correspondence between linear and angular/rotational quantities:
Linear and Angular Quantities
Linear Type Angular Relation ( )
S Displacement
V Velocity
Acceleration

Note: is always in radians. To convert degrees to radians or vice versa, we use the
following:

Table 12.2: The equations of motion for constant angular acceleration are the same as
those for linear motion, with the substitution of the angular quantities for the linear
ones.
Angular Linear

Doing Physics!
Roll a cylindrical can across a table. Note that the distance it rolls in each
complete rotation equals the circumference of the can. Note also that the can
rolls in a straight – line path. Now roll an ordinary tapered drinking cup on
the table (a paper or foam works fine). The wide end has a greater radius
than the narrow end. Does the cup roll straight or does it curve? Does the
wide end of the cup cover more distance as it rotates? Is the linear speed of
the wide end greater?

Example 1: Mars is about twice as far from the sun as is Venus. A Martian year, which
is the time it takes Mars to go around the sun, is about three times as long as a
Venusian year.
a. Which of these two planets has the greater rotational speed in its orbit?
b. Which planet has greater linear speed?

Solution:
a. Let radial distance of Venus from the sun
radial distance of Mars from the sun
Venusian year
Martian year

6
 From rotational speed equation:
;

For Venus:
⁄

rotational speed of Venus

For Mars:
⁄ ⁄

rotational speed of Mars

Since the rotational speed of Mars has a divisor of 6, its rotational speed
will be of the rotational speed of Venus. Thus, Venus has the greater
rotational speed.

b. Let linear speed of Venus

linear speed of Mars

For Venus:

( )

linear speed of Venus

For Mars:

( )

linear speed of Mars

Since the linear speed of Mars has a divisor of 3, its linear speed will be
of the linear speed of Venus. Thus, Venus has the greater linear speed.

Example 2: Find the number of revolutions of a bicycle wheel of diameter 0.7 m when
the bike goes a distance of 22 m down the street.
Solution:
1 rev. radians degrees

One revolution is equivalent to the circumference of the bicycle wheel. So we have

to calculate the circumference of the wheel using the equation

( )

7
 Since the bicycle wheel will run over a 22 – meter distance, then the number of
revolutions of the wheel will be 22 m divided by the circumference of the wheel.

Example 3: A carousel is initially at rest. At it is given a constant angular

acceleration ⁄ increases its angular velocity for 8.0 sec. At sec,
determine the magnitude of the following quantities:
a. the angular velocity of the carousel.
b. the linear velocity of a child located 2.5 m from the center.
c. the tangential (linear) acceleration of that child.
d. the radial acceleration of the child.
e. the total linear acceleration of the child.
Solution:
a. Given: , ⁄
At rest, the initial angular velocity ⁄
From , substitute values of and t:
( )
⁄

b. Given: , ⁄
From , substitute values of R and :
( )

c. Given: , ⁄
From , substitute values of R and :
( )
⁄

d. Given: , ⁄
From , substitute values of R and :
( )
⁄

e. Given: ⁄ , ⁄
From √ , substitute values of and :
√( ) ( )
⁄

Example 4: A flywheel of radius 30 cm starts from rest and accelerates with constant
acceleration of ⁄ . Compute the tangential, radial and resultant accelerations
of a point on its circumference :
a. initially at .
b. after it has made one third of a revolution.

8
Solution:
a. Given: , ⁄ ,
From , substitute values of R and :
( )
⁄

At rest, rad/sec
From , substitute values of R and :
( )
⁄

√
√( ) ( )
⁄

b. Given: , , ⁄
⁄

From , substitute values of , , and :

( ) ( )( )

From , substitute values of R and :

( )

√
√( ) ( )
⁄

9
IT’S YOUR TURN

Activity 1: Copy and answer the following problems. Make sure that your handwriting
is legible. Your solutions must be organized and detailed and avoid erasures as much
as possible. Use long bond papers ( ). See Appendix A for additional content of
your first page and the rubric for scoring.
1. What is the tangential acceleration ( ⁄ ) of a bug on the rim of a 9.0 – inch
diameter disk if the disk moves from rest to an angular speed of 90 revolutions
per minute in 4.0 seconds? ( )
2. A 5 ft diameter solid wheel initially rotating at 50.0 rad/s comes to a uniform
stop after 8.0 rotations in radians. What is the tangential acceleration ( ⁄ )
at the rim of the wheel? ( )
3. A flywheel with a radius of 0.3 m starts from rest and accelerates with a constant
angular acceleration of 0.60 ⁄ . Calculate the magnitude of the tangential
acceleration, radial acceleration and the resultant acceleration of a point on its
rim after it has turned .( )

Rubric:
Insufficient Fair Good Very Good Excellent
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
All parts of Few parts of Some parts of Most parts All parts of
the written the written the written of the the written
Accuracy solution are solution are solution are written solution are
incorrect. correct. correct. solution are correct.
correct.
No work is Few parts of Some parts of Most parts All parts of
completed. the written the written of the the written
Completion solution are solution are written solution are
completed. completed. solution are completed.
completed.
None of the Few Some of the Most of the All writings
writings are writings are writings are writings are are legible
Neatness
legible with legible with legible and is legible and and is
and
many many neat with is neat with incredibly
Legibility
smudges. smudges. several a few neat with no
smudges. smudges. smudges.
All parts of Few parts of Some parts of Most parts All parts of
the written the written the written of the the written
solution are solution are solution are written solution are
Organization
confusing. organized. organized. solution are well-
well- organized.
organized.

10
LESSON 2: CENTRIPETAL FORCE

Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
1. calculate the velocity of an object moving in a circular path applying the
given formulas;
2. compute the centripetal force of an object moving in a circular path
applying the given formulas; and
3. determine the centripetal acceleration of an object moving in a circular
path applying the given formulas.

LET’S ENGAGE

Why don‟t the riders fall out of the rotating carnival ride when the rotating platform is
raised?

(Baron, 2020)

LET’S TALK ABOUT IT

Whirl a tin can on the end of a string and you‟ll notice that you must keep
continuously pulling on the string. You pull inward on the string to keep the can
revolving over your head in a circular path. A force of some kind is required to
maintain circular motion. Any force that causes an object to follow a circular path is
called a centripetal force. Centripetal means “center – seeking” or “toward the
center”. The force that holds the riders safely in the rotating carnival ride is a center –
directed force. Without it, the motion of the riders would be along a straight line path –
they would not revolve.

Centripetal force is not a new kind of force. It is simply the name given to any
force that is directed at a right angle to the path of a moving object and that tends to
produce circular motion. Gravitational and electrical forces act across empty space as
centripetal forces. Gravitational force directed toward the center of the Earth holds the
moon in an almost circular orbit around Earth. Electrons around the nucleus of the
atom are held in their orbits by an electrical force that is directed inward toward the
nucleus.

11
 When an automobile rounds a corner, the sideways – acting friction between
the tires and the road provides the centripetal force that holds the car on a curved
path as shown in Figure 13.1. In order for the automobile not to skid or slip and to
attain maximum velocity, this friction force is equal to the centripetal force. If the force
of friction is not great enough, the car fails to make the curve and the tires slide
sideways. The car skids. This maximum velocity is given by √ , where is the
coefficient of friction, g is the gravitational acceleration and R is the radius of the
circular path.

(Tippens, 2007)
Figure 13.1: For the car to go around a curve there must be sufficient friction to provide
the required centripetal force.

Centripetal and Centrifugal Forces

Circular motion is described as being caused by a center – directed force.

Sometimes an outward force is also attributed to circular motion. This outward force
is called centrifugal force. Centrifugal means “center – fleeing” or “away from the
center”. In the case of the whirling can, it is a common misconception to state that a
centrifugal force pulls outward on the can. If the string holding the can breaks, it is
often wrongly stated that centrifugal force pulls the can from its circular path. But in
fact, when the string breaks the can goes off in a tangential straight line path because
no force acts on it.

Suppose you are a passenger in a car that suddenly stops. If you‟re not wearing
a seat belt you pitch forward toward the dashboard. When this happens, you don‟t say
that something forces you forward. You know that you pitched forward because of the
absence of a force, which a seat belt provides. Similarly, if you are in a car that rounds
a sharp corner to the left, you tend to pitch outward against the right door. Why? Not
because of some outward or centrifugal force, but rather because there is no
centripetal force holding you in circular motion. So when you swing a tin can in a
circular path, there is no force pulling the can outward. Only the force from the string
acts on the can to pull the can inward. The outward force is on the string, not on the
can.

12
 Both centripetal and centrifugal forces depend on the mass of the object (m),
the tangential speed (V), and the radius of curvature (R) of the circularly moving
objects. Or, in equation form,

When an object of mass m is revolving in a circular motion of radius R, the

object is in accelerating motion. The radial component of the acceleration, called
centripetal acceleration is given by

For an object attached to a string rotated in a horizontal circle at a certain angle

as shown in Figure 13.2, the centripetal force is equal to the horizontal component of
the tension on the string. The vertical component of the tension is equal to the weight
of the object.

(Tippens, 2007)
Figure 13.2: An object rotated in a horizontal circle at a certain angle.

eq‟n 1

eq‟n 2

Solving the two equations to find the angle:

For the motion of an object in vertical circle as shown in Figure 13.3, considering the
top of the circle, the centripetal force is equal to the tension on the string plus the
weight of the objects. Or, . When considering the bottom of the circle, the
centripetal force is equal to the tension on the string minus the weight of the object.
Or, .

13
 (Tippens, 2007)
Figure 13.3: An object rotated in a vertical circle.

Example 1: A 3 – kg rock swings in a circle of radius 5 m. If its constant speed is 8

m/s, what is the centripetal acceleration?
Solution:
( )

Example 2: A skater moves with 15 m/s in a circle of radius 30 m. The ice exerts a
central force of 450 N. What is the mass of the skater?
Solution:

( )

Example 3: A car negotiates a turn of radius 70 m when the coefficient of static friction
is 0.7. What is the maximum speed to avoid slipping?
Solution:
To avoid slipping, the centripetal force on the car is equal to the static friction
force.

14
 √
√ ( )( )
⁄

Example 4: A 2 – kg mass swings in a horizontal circle at the end of a cord of length 10

m. What is the constant speed of the mass if the rope makes an angle of with the
vertical? What is the centripetal force?

Solution:
Solving the radius of the circle:

( )

√
⁄

( )

Example 5:A 2 – kg rock swings in a vertical circle of radius 8 m. The speed of the rock
as it passes its highest point is 10 m/s. What is the tension in the rope?
Solution:

( )
( )

15
IT’S YOUR TURN

Activity 2: Copy and answer the following problems. Make sure that your handwriting
is legible. Your solutions must be organized and detailed and avoid erasures as much
as possible. Use long bond papers ( ). See Appendix A for additional content of
your first page and the rubric for scoring.
1. A 980 kg test car travels around a circular track with a radius of 625 meters. If
the magnitude of the centripetal force is 2433 N,
a. what is the car‟s speed in ⁄ ? ( )
b. what is the car‟s centripetal acceleration in ⁄ ? ( )

2. An object of mass 50 kg moves at 50 m/s around a circular path of radius 10 m.

a. What centripetal force (in Newtons) is needed to keep it in its orbit? ( )
b. What is the centripetal acceleration of the object in ⁄ ? ( )

Rubric:
Insufficient Fair Good Very Good Excellent
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
All parts of Few parts of Some parts of Most parts All parts of
the written the written the written of the the written
Accuracy solution are solution are solution are written solution are
incorrect. correct. correct. solution are correct.
correct.
No work is Few parts of Some parts of Most parts All parts of
completed. the written the written of the the written
Completion solution are solution are written solution are
completed. completed. solution are completed.
completed.
None of the Few Some of the Most of the All writings
writings are writings are writings are writings are are legible
Neatness
legible with legible with legible and is legible and and is
and
many many neat with is neat with incredibly
Legibility
smudges. smudges. several a few neat with no
smudges. smudges. smudges.
All parts of Few parts of Some parts of Most parts All parts of
the written the written the written of the the written
solution are solution are solution are written solution are
Organization
confusing. organized. organized. solution are well-
well- organized.
organized.

16
LESSON 3: CENTER OF GRAVITY

Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
1. locate the center of gravity of an object applying the given equations;
2. locate the center of mass of an object applying the given equations; and
3. locate the centroid of an object applying the given equations.

LET’S ENGAGE

Why doesn‟t the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa topple over? Why is it impossible for us
to stand with our back and our heels against a wall and then bend over and touch our
toes without toppling forward?

(Picheta and Borghese, 2018) (Hewitt, 2005)

LET’S TALK ABOUT IT

Center of Gravity

Throw a baseball into the air and it follows a smooth parabolic path. Throw a
baseball bat and its path is not smooth. The bat seems to wobble all over the place.
But it wobbles about a special point. This point stays on a parabolic path even though
the rest of the bat does not as shown in Figure 14.1. The motion of the bat is the sum
of two motions: a spin around this point and a movement through the air as if all the
weight were concentrated at this point. This point is the center of gravity of the bat.

17
 (Hewitt, 2005)
Figure 14.1: The centers of gravity of the baseball and the spinning baseball bat each
follow parabolic paths

The center of gravity of an object is the point located at the object‟s average
position of weight. For a symmetrical object, such as a baseball, the center of gravity is
at its geometric center. But an irregularly shaped object, such as a baseball bat, has
more weight at one end than the other, so the center of gravity is toward the heavier
end.

Objects not made of the same material throughout (that is objects of varying
density) may have the center of gravity quite far from the geometric center. Consider a
hollow ball half filled with lead. The center of gravity would not be at the geometric
center; rather, it would be located somewhere within the lead part. The ball will always
roll to a stop with its center of gravity as low as possible. Make the ball the body of a
lightweight toy clown as shown in Figure 14.2, whenever it is pushed over, it will come
back right – side up.

(Hewitt, 2005)
Figure 14.2: The center of gravity of the toy is below its geometric center where the lead
part is located.

18
 The center of gravity of an object may be located using the following equations:

𝑪
𝑊

̅
̅
̅

Center of gravity is at (̅ ̅ ̅)
Where:
weight of the object

Center of Mass

Center of gravity is often called center of mass, which is the average position
of all the particles of mass that makes up an object. For almost all objects on and near
the earth, these terms are interchangeable. There can be a small difference between
center of gravity and center of mass when an object is large enough for gravity to vary
from one part to another. For example, the center of gravity of the World Trade Center
is about 1 millimeter below its center of mass. This is due to the lower storeys being
pulled a little more strongly by earth‟s gravity than the upper storeys.

19
 The center of mass of an object may be located using the following equations:

𝑪𝑮
𝑀
𝑀

̅
̅
̅

Center of mass is at (̅ ̅ ̅)
Where:
mass of the object

Centroid or Center of Area

The centroid 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 (the object is made of the same material). If an object has
an axis of symmetry, then the centroid of object lies on that axis. Example, for a
symmetrical object such as a baseball, which is spherical in shape, its centroid is at
the center of its area. But if the centroid does not coincide with the center of mass or
the center of gravity, it means that the object is heterogeneous (the object is made of
different material) or if the object is unsymmetrical. Example, for an irregularly shaped
object such as a baseball bat, its centroid will fall at the portion of the bat with wider
area. However, in some cases, the centroid is not located on the object.

20
To locate the centroid of an object, we use the following equations:

𝑪𝑮
𝐴
𝐴

̅
̅
̅

Centroid is at (̅ ̅ ̅)
Where:
area

Locating the centroid of common geometric shapes is shown in Figure 14.3.

21
 Square 𝐀 𝐚𝟐 Circle 𝐀 𝛑𝐫 𝟐
𝐚 𝐱̅ 𝐫
𝐱̅
𝟐 𝐲̅ 𝐫
𝐚
𝐲̅
𝟐

Rectangle 𝐀 𝐛𝐡 Semi Circle 𝛑𝐫 𝟐

𝐛 𝐀
𝟐
𝐱̅
𝟐 𝐱̅ 𝐫
𝟒𝐫
𝐡 𝐲̅
𝐲̅ 𝟑𝛑
𝟐

Right Triangle 𝟏 Quarter 𝛑𝐫 𝟐

𝐀 𝐛𝐡 Circle 𝐀
𝟐 𝟒
𝐛 𝟒𝐫
𝐱̅ 𝐱̅ 𝐫
𝟑 𝟑𝛑
𝟒𝐫
𝐡 𝐲̅
𝐲̅ 𝟑𝛑
𝟑

Equilateral 𝟏 Quarter 𝛑𝐫 𝟐
𝐀 𝐛𝐡 Circle 𝐀
Triangle 𝟐 𝟒
𝐛 𝟒𝐫
𝐱̅ 𝐱̅
𝟐 𝟑𝛑
𝟒𝐫
𝐡 𝐲̅
𝐲̅ 𝟑𝛑
𝟑

(Hulwane, 2016)
Figure 14.3: Centroid of Common Geometric Shapes

Locating the Center of Gravity

The center of gravity (CG) of a uniform object (such as a meter stick) is at the
midpoint, its geometric center. The center of gravity is the balance point. Supporting
that single point supports the whole object. In Figure 14.3, the many small vectors
represent the force of gravity along the meter stick. All of these can be combined into a
resultant force that acts at the center of gravity. The effect is as if the weight of the
meter stick were concentrated at this point. That‟s why you can balance the meter
stick with a single upward force directed at this point.

22
 (Hewitt, 2005)
Figure 14.3: The weight of the entire stick behaves as if it were concentrated at its
center

If you suspend any object (a pendulum, for example) at a single point, the CG of
the object will hang directly below (or at) the point of suspension. To locate the object‟s
CG, construct a vertical line beneath the point of suspension. The CG lies somewhere
along that line. Figure 14.4 shows how a plumb line and bob can be used to construct
a line that is exactly vertical. You can locate the CG by suspending the object from
some other point and constructing a second vertical line. The CG is where the two
lines intersect.

(Hewitt, 2005)
Figure 14.4: Finding the CG for an irregularly shaped object with a plumb bob.

The CG of an object may be located where no actual material exists. The CG of

a ring lies at the geometric center where no matter exists. The same hold true for a
hollow sphere such as a basketball. There is no material at the CG of an empty cup,
bowl, or boomerang as shown in Figure 14.5.

23
 (Hewitt, 2005)
Figure 14.5: There is no material at the center of gravity of these objects.

Toppling

Pin a plumb line to the center of a heavy wooden block and tilt the block until it
topples over as shown in Figure 14.6. You can see that the block will begin to topple
when the plumb line extends beyond the supporting base of the block.

Support base

(Hewitt, 2005)
Figure 14.6: The block topples when the center of gravity extends beyond its support
base.

The rule for toppling is this: If the CG of an object is above the area of support,
the object will remain upright. If the CG extends outside the area of support, the
object will topple. This principle is dramatically employed in the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
The tower does not topple because its center of gravity does not extend beyond its
base. As shown in Figure 14.7, a vertical line below the CG falls inside the base, and
so the Leaning Tower has stood for centuries. If the tower leaned far enough that the
CG extended beyond the base, the tower would topple. The same rule applies in
touching your toes. You can probably bend over and touch your toes without bending
your knees. In doing so, you unconsciously extend the lower part of your body as
shown in Figure 14.7. In this way, your CG, which is now outside your body, is
nevertheless above your supporting feet. If you try it while standing with your heels to
a wall, you may be in for a surprise. You cannot do it. This is because you are unable
to adjust your body, and your CG protrudes beyond your feet. You are off balance and
you topple over.

24
 (Picheta and Borghese, 2018) (Hewitt, 2005)
Figure 14.7: (Left) The Leaning Tower of Pisa does not topple over because its CG lies
above its base. (Right) You can lean over and touch your toes without toppling only if
your CG is above the area bounded by your feet.

Doing Physics!
Stand exactly two foot lengths away
from a wall and place a chair
between yourself and the wall. Bend
over with a straight back and let
your head lean against the wall, as
shown. Then lift the chair off of the
floor while your head is still leaning
against the wall. Now attempt to
straighten up. Give two reasons why
females can generally do this while
males cannot. 2 footlengths

Stability

It is nearly impossible to balance a pen upright on its point, while it is rather

easy to stand it upright on its flat end, because the base of support is inadequate for
the point and adequate for the flat end. But there is a second reason. Consider a solid
wooden cone on a level table. As you can see in Figure 14.8, you cannot stand it on its
tip. Even if you position it so that its center of gravity is exactly above its tip, the
slightest vibration or air current will cause the cone to topple. When it does topple, will
the CG be raised, lowered, or not change at all? The answer to this question provides
the second reason for stability. A little thought will show that the CG is lowered by any
movement. We say that an object balanced so that any displacement lowers its center
of gravity is in unstable equilibrium.

25
 (Hewitt, 2005)
Figure 14.8: Equilibrium is (a) unstable when the CG is lowered with displacement,
(b) stable when work must be done to raise the CG, and (c) neutral when
displacement neither raises nor lowers the CG.

A cone balances easily on its base. To make it topple, its CG must be raised.
This means the cone‟s potential energy must be increased, which requires work. We
say an object that is balanced so that any displacement raises its center of gravity is in
stable equilibrium. Place the cone on its side and its CG is neither raised nor lowered
with displacement. An object in this configuration is in neutral equilibrium.

Like the cone, the pen is in unstable equilibrium when it is on its point. When
the pen is on its flat end as shown in Figure 14.9, it is in stable equilibrium because
the CG must be raised slightly to topple it over.

(Hewitt, 2005)
Figure 14.9: For the pen to topple when it is on its flat end, it must rotate over one edge.
During rotation, the CG rises slightly and then falls.

26
Example 1: While sitting in a marketing meeting for new ad campaign to show off a
balanced diet, Derbel McDillet came up with an idea to emphasize a balanced diet. He
thought to start by balancing fruit and bread on a board. Your job, as the intern, is to
figure out where to hold up the board.

Solution:
The point where you should position your hand serves as the point where the
center of gravity of the system is located and that is a distance x from the left end
of the board.

̅
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
̅

̅
̅

 Center of gravity of the system is located at 0.523 meter from the left
end of the board.

Example 2: A uniform beam of 5.0 kg holds up the two masses as shown. Find the
center of mass of the system of objects from the left edge of the board.

27
 Solution:

(center of gravity is at the geometric center of the board)

̅
( ) ( ) ( )
̅
̅

 Center of mass of the system is located at 2.31 meter from the left end
of the board.

Example 3: Locate the centroid of the system shown.

Solution:
Since the system consists of several shapes joined together, first thing we should
do is to divide it into basic areas as follows:

𝐴
𝐴
𝐴

28
Calculating the areas:
( )
( )
( )( )

Total area:

Calculating ̅ from the y – axis:

x
x
x

Since and are located on the negative x – axis, values will also be negative.

̅
( ) ( ) ( )
̅

̅
̅

29
 Calculating ̅ from the x – axis:

y
y
y

̅
( ) ( ) ( )
̅

̅
̅

 Centroid of the system is at ( )

Example4: Locate the centroid of the system shown.

30
Solution:
Divide the system into basic areas as shown:

𝐡𝟏 𝐀𝟏

𝐛𝟏

𝐀𝟑
𝐀𝟒
𝐡𝟑
𝐛𝟐
𝐡𝟐 𝐀 𝟐

Calculating the areas:

( )
( )( )
( )

( )

Total area:
Since the circle is not shaded, then, its area will be subtracted from the total area
of the system.

Calculating x̅ from the y – axis:

( )

( )

31
 ̅
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
̅

̅
̅

Calculating ̅ from the x – axis:

( )

( ) ( y x )
( )

̅
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
̅

̅
̅

 Centroid of the system is at ( )

32
IT’S YOUR TURN

Activity 3: Copy and answer the following problems. Make sure that your handwriting
is legible. Your solutions must be organized and detailed and avoid erasures as much
as possible. Use long bond papers ( ). See Appendix A for additional content of
your first page and the rubric for scoring.
1. Locate the center of mass of the system shown. ( )

2. Locate the center of gravity of the system shown. ( )

N N

N N

33
Rubric:
Insufficient Fair Good Very Good Excellent
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
All parts of Few parts of Some parts of Most parts All parts of
the written the written the written of the the written
Accuracy solution are solution are solution are written solution are
incorrect. correct. correct. solution are correct.
correct.
No work is Few parts of Some parts of Most parts All parts of
completed. the written the written of the the written
Completion solution are solution are written solution are
completed. completed. solution are completed.
completed.
None of the Few Some of the Most of the All writings
writings are writings are writings are writings are are legible
Neatness
legible with legible with legible and is legible and and is
and
many many neat with is neat with incredibly
Legibility
smudges. smudges. several a few neat with no
smudges. smudges. smudges.
All parts of Few parts of Some parts of Most parts All parts of
the written the written the written of the the written
solution are solution are solution are written solution are
Organization
confusing. organized. organized. solution are well-
well- organized.
organized.

POST ASSESSMENT
Now let‟s test if you have learned something from this module. Copy and answer
the following problems. Make sure that your handwriting is legible. Your solutions
must be organized and detailed and avoid erasures as much as possible. Use long
bond papers ( ). See Appendix A for additional content of your first page and
the rubric for scoring.
1. A flywheel of radius 2.83 cm is accelerated from rest at 14.2 ⁄ until its
rotational speed is 276 rpm.
a. What is the tangential acceleration ( ⁄ ) of a point on the rim of the
flywheel during its spin – up process? ( )
b. What is the radial acceleration ( ⁄ ) of this point when the flywheel is
spinning at full speed? ( )
2. You whirl a 32 – gram rubber stopper on a string in a horizontal circle above your
head. The string has length 82 cm and completes 5 revolutions in 4.1 seconds.
a. What is the speed of the stopper in m/s? ( )
b. What is the tension on the string in newtons? ( )
3. A ball is spinning in a vertical circle at the end of a string that is 3.0 m long. If
the ball has a mass of 2.5 kg and moves at a constant speed of 6.0 m/s,
a. determine the tension in the string when the ball is at the top of the loop.
( )
b. determine the tension in the string when the ball is at the bottom of the loop.
( )

34
4. Locate the center of gravity of the figure shown. Show division of areas. ( )
𝒚

Rubric:
Insufficient Fair Good Very Good Excellent
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
All parts of Few parts of Some parts of Most parts All parts of
the written the written the written of the the written
Accuracy solution are solution are solution are written solution are
incorrect. correct. correct. solution are correct.
correct.
No work is Few parts of Some parts of Most parts All parts of
completed. the written the written of the the written
Completion solution are solution are written solution are
completed. completed. solution are completed.
completed.
None of the Few Some of the Most of the All writings
writings are writings are writings are writings are are legible
Neatness
legible with legible with legible and is legible and and is
and
many many neat with is neat with incredibly
Legibility
smudges. smudges. several a few neat with no
smudges. smudges. smudges.
All parts of Few parts of Some parts of Most parts All parts of
the written the written the written of the the written
solution are solution are solution are written solution are
Organization
confusing. organized. organized. solution are well-
well- organized.
organized.

35
REFERENCES

Hewitt, P. G. (2007). Conceptual physics (10th ed.) Jurong, Singapore: Pearson

Education South Asia Pte Ltd.

Serway, R. A., & Faughn, J. S. (1989). College physics (2nd ed.). New York, New York:
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help-on-carnival-ride-that-wouldn‟t-quit-25249/amp

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carousel-was-originally-a-training-tool-for-death-ad9a4ff5cad3

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alloy-vs-chrome-wheel-heres-how-to-really-choose-the-best-one-for-you/

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alive-that-depends-on-your-definition-of-life

Hameed, S. (2018). Earth around the sun. Retrieved from https://www.truth-

seeker.info/quran-science-2/revolution-earth-around-sun-per-quran/

Hulwane, V. (2016). Centroid of plane figures. Retrieved from

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gravity.html?m=1

Rivera, E. (2017). Ferris wheel. Retrieved from https://vocal.media/wander/best-

ferris-wheels-around-the-world

Stephens, R. (2018). Roller coaster. Retrieved from

https://www.smithsonian.com/science-nature/psychology-roller-coasters-
18096907

Tippens, P. E. (2007). Circular motion pdf. Retrieved from

https://www.stcharlesprep.org/01_parents/vandermeer_s/Useful%20Links/Ho
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