ENGINEERING MECHANICS STATICS

Center of Gravity and Centroid

CENTER OF MASS

Center of Gravity:
To determine mathematically the location of
the center of gravity of any body, we apply the
principle of moments (recall the moment chapter) to
the parallel system of gravitational forces. The
moment of the resultant gravitational force W about
any axis equals the sum of the moments about the
same axis of the gravitational forces dW acting on all
particles treated as infinitesimal elements of the body.
The resultant of the gravitational forces acting on all
elements is the weight of the body and is given by the
sum W=ʃ dW. If we apply the moment principle
about the y-axis, for example, the moment about this
axis of the elemental weight is x dW, and the sum of these moments for all elements
of the body is ʃ x dW. This sum of moments must equal W x̅, the moment of the
sum. Thus, x̅ W = ʃ x dW.
With similar expressions for the other two components, we may express the
coordinates of the center of gravity G as

With the substitution of W= mg and dW= g dm, the expressions for the coordinates
of the center of gravity become

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CENTROIDS OF LINES, AREAS, AND VOLUMES

1. Lines

2. Areas

3. Volumes

Example: Determine the x coordinate of the centroid of the triangular area.

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Example: Locate the centroid of a circular arc as shown in the figure.

Solution:
Choosing the axis of symmetry as the x-axis makes y̅= 0. A differential element of
arc has the length dL= r dθ expressed in polar coordinates, and the x-coordinate of
the element is r cosθ.
L= 2αr:

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Example: Centroid of a triangular area. Determine the distance h̅ from the base of
a triangle of altitude h to the centroid of its area.

Solution:
The x-axis is taken to coincide with the base. A differential strip of area dA= x dy
is chosen. By similar triangles x/ (h - y) = b/h.

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Example: Determine the centroid of the area.

Let dA be the vertical strip. The height of the strip is x-x2
So, dA=(x-x2) dx and the x coordinate of the centroid is:

The y coordinate of the mid point of the strip is:

x2+1/2(x-x2) = 1/2(x+x2)

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EXAMPLE: Locate the y centroid for the paraboloid of revolution,

Differential Element. An element having the shape of a thin disk is chosen. This
element has a thickness dy, it intersects the generating curve at the arbitrary point
(0, y, z), and so its radius is r = z.
Volume and Moment Arm. The volume of the element is dV = (πz2)dy, and its
centroid is located at y.

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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. The formula for calculating the coordinates of the center of gravity for
composite bodies:

Centroid of Area

Example: Locate the centroid of the shaded area.

Solution. The composite area is divided into the four elementary shapes shown in
the figure above. The centroid locations of all these shapes may be obtained from
Table 1 at the end of this lecture. Note that the areas of the “holes” (parts 3 and 4)
are taken as negative in the following table:

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Example: Locate the centroid of the wire shown in the figure below.

Solution:
1. The wire is divided into three segments as shown in the figure below.
2. Moment Arms. The location of the centroid for each segment is determined
and indicated in the figure. In particular, the centroid of segment (1) is
determined either by integration or by using the table 1.

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Example: Locate the center of mass of the bracket-and-shaft combination. The

vertical face is made from sheet metal which has a mass of 25 kg/m2. The material
of the horizontal base has a mass of 40 kg/m2, and the steel shaft has a density of
7830 Kg/m3. (All dimensions in the figure are in millimeters)

Solution. The composite body may be considered to be composed of the five

elements shown in the figure below. The triangular part will be taken as a negative
mass. For the reference axes indicated, it is clear by symmetry that the x-coordinate
of the center of mass is zero.
For Part 1 we have from table 1

For Part 3 we know that the centroid of the triangular mass is one-third of its
altitude above its base. Measurement from the coordinate axes becomes:

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TABLE 1 PROPERTIES OF PLANE FIGURES

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Moments of Inertia
Moments of Inertia of an area
The area moment of inertia represents the second moment of the area about
an axis. It is frequently used in formulas related to the strength and stability of
structural members or mechanical elements.
For the entire area A the moments of inertia are determined by integration:

From the above formulations it is seen that Ix and Iy, will

always be positive since they involve the product of distance
squared and area. Furthermore, the units for moment of
inertia involve length raised to the fourth power, e.g., m4,
mm4, or ft4, in4.

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Parallel-Axis Theorem for an Area
The parallel-axis theorem can be used to find the moment of inertia of an area
about any axis that is parallel to an axis passing through the centroid and about which
the moment of inertia is known.

𝐈̅Xʹ and 𝐈̅yʹ: The first integral represents the moment of

inertia of the area about the centroidal axis.
A: The total area.
dy and dx: The distance between the parallel x’ and x
and y’ and y respectively.

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EXAMPLE: Determine the moment of inertia for the rectangular area shown in the
figure below with respect to (a) the centroidal xʹ axis, and (b) the axis xb.

a. The differential element shown in Figure is chosen for integration. Because of its
location and orientation, the entire element is at a distance y from the x axis. Here
it is necessary to integrate from
y = -h/2 to y = h/2. Since dA = b dy, then:

b. The moment of inertia about an axis passing through the base of the rectangle
can be obtained by using the above result of part (a) and applying the parallel-axis
theorem.

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EXAMPLE: Determine the moment of inertia for the shaded area shown in the
figure below about the x-axis.

A differential element of area that is parallel to the x axis, as shown in

Figure, is chosen for integration. Since this element has a thickness dy and
intersects the curve at the arbitrary point (x, y), its area is dA = (100 - x) dy.
Furthermore, the element lies at the same distance y from the x axis. Hence,
integrating with respect to y, from y = 0 to y = 200 mm, yields

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Example: Find the moment of inertia about the x-axis of the semicircular area.

Solution:
The moment of inertia of the semicircular area about the xʹ-axis is shown in table 1
Ixʹ=πr4/8
=π(20)2/8=2π(10)4 mm4
We obtain the moment of inertia I about the parallel centroidal axis x0 next.
Transfer is made through the distance r= 4r/(3π) = (4)(20)/(3π) = 80/(3π) mm by
the parallel-axis theorem. Hence,

Finally, we transfer from the centroidal x0-axis to the x-axis. Thus,

= 1.755(104) + 34.7(104) = 36.4(104) mm4

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Moments of Inertia for Composite Areas

A composite area consists of a series of connected “simpler” parts or shapes,
such as rectangles, triangles, and circles. Provided the moment of inertia of each of
these parts is known or can be determined about a common axis, then the moment
of inertia for the composite area about this axis equals the algebraic sum of the
moments of inertia of all its parts.

EXAMPLE: Determine the moment of inertia of the area shown in figure below
about the x-axis.

Solution:
Composite Parts. The area can be obtained by subtracting the circle from the
rectangle shown in figure below. The centroid of each area is located in the figure.

Parallel-Axis Theorem. The moments of inertia

about the x-axis are determined using the
parallel-axis theorem and the geometric
properties formulae for circular and rectangular
areas Ix = π r4/4; Ix = bh3/12, found in table 1.

Circle

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Rectangle

Summation. The moment of inertia for the area is therefore

Ix = -11.4(106) + 112.5(106)
= 101(106) mm4

EXAMPLE: Determine the moments of inertia for the cross-sectional area of the
member shown in the figure below about the x and y centroidal axes.

Solution:
Composite Parts. The cross section can be subdivided into the three rectangular
areas A, B, and D shown in the figure below. For the calculation, the centroid of
each of these rectangles is located in the figure.

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Parallel-Axis Theorem. From table 1, the moment of inertia of a rectangle about its
centroidal axis is I = 1/12 bh3. Hence, using the parallel-axis theorem for rectangles
A and D, the calculations are as follows:
Rectangles A and D

Rectangle B

Summation. The moments of inertia for the entire cross section are thus

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Example: Determine the moments of inertia about the x- and y-axes for the shaded
area. Make direct use of the expressions given in Table 1 for the centroidal
moments of inertia of the constituent parts.

Solution:
The given area is subdivided into the three
subareas shown—a rectangular (1), a quarter-
circular (2), and a triangular (3) area. Two of the
subareas are “holes” with negative areas. Centroidal
x0 - y0 axes are shown for areas (2) and (3), and the
locations of centroids C2 and C3 are from Table 1.
The following table will facilitate the
calculations.

Part A (mm) dy (mm) dx (mm) A dy2 (mm3) A dx2 (mm3) Ix (mm4) Iy (mm4)

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Example: Calculate the moment of inertia about the x-axis for the shaded area
shown. Wherever possible, make expedient use of tabulated moments of inertia.

Solution:
The composite area is composed of
the positive area of the rectangle (1)
and the negative areas of the quarter
circle (2) and triangle (3). For the
rectangle the moment of inertia
about the x-axis, from table 1.

The moment of inertia of the negative quarter-circular area about its base axis xʹ is:

We now transfer this result through the distance

r̅ = 4r/(3 π) = 4(30)/(3 π) =12.73 mm
by the transfer-of-axis theorem to get the centroidal moment of inertia of part (2)
(or use Table 1 directly).
1.

The moment of inertia of the quarter-circular part about the x-axis is now
2.

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Finally, the moment of inertia of the negative triangular area (3) about its base, is

The total moment of inertia about the x-axis of the composite area is, consequently,

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TABLE 1 PROPERTIES OF PLANE FIGURES

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Structural Analysis (Trusses)

A truss is a structure composed of slender members joined together at their
end points. The members commonly used in construction consist of wooden struts
or metal bars.

Simple trusses are composed of triangular elements. The members are

assumed to be pin connected at their ends and loads applied at the joints.

Assumptions for Design

 All loadings are applied at the joints.
 The members are joined together by smooth pins.

Analysis of trusses:
In order to analyze or design a truss, it is necessary to determine the force in
each of its members. There are two main methods:
1. Method of joints.
2. Method of sections.

Each member of a truss is normally a straight link joining the

two points of application of force. The two forces are applied at the
ends of the member and are necessarily equal, opposite, and collinear
for equilibrium. The member may be in tension or compression, as
shown in the figure.

The Method of Joints

This method is based on the fact that if the entire truss is in equilibrium, then
each of its joints is also in equilibrium. Therefore, if the free-body diagram of each
joint is drawn, the force equilibrium equations can then be used to obtain the member
forces acting on each joint.

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Example 1: Determine the force in each member of the truss shown in the figure
below and indicate whether the members are in tension or compression.

Solution:
Since we should have no more than two unknown forces
at the joint and at least one known force acting there, we
will begin our analysis at joint B.

Joint B.

Since the force in member BC has been calculated, we can proceed

to analyze joint C to determine the force in member CA and the
support reaction at the rocker.

Joint C.

Joint A.

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Example 2: Determine the force in each member of the loaded truss. Make use of
the symmetry of the truss and of the loading.

Solution:

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Example 3: Determine the forces in members BC and BG of the loaded truss.

Solution:

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The Method of Sections

When we need to find the force in only a few members of a truss, we can
analyze the truss using the method of sections. It is based on the principle that if the
truss is in equilibrium then any segment of the truss is also in equilibrium.

Example: Determine the force in members GE, GC, and BC of the truss shown in
the figure below. Indicate whether the members are in tension or compression.

Solution:

Section a-a in the figure has been chosen since it cuts through the three members
whose forces are to be determined. In order
to use the method of sections, however, it is
first necessary to determine the external
reactions at A or D. Why? A free-body
diagram of the entire truss is shown in the
figure. applying the equations of
equilibrium, we have:

Free-Body Diagram. For the analysis, the free-body

diagram of the left portion of the sectioned truss will
be used, since it involves the least number of forces.

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Equations of Equilibrium. Summing moments about point G eliminates FGE and

FGC and yields a direct solution for FBC.

In the same manner, by summing moments about point C we obtain a direct

solution for FGE.

Since FBC and FGE have no vertical components, summing forces in the y
direction directly yields FGC, i.e.,

NOTE: Here it is possible to tell, by inspection, the proper direction for each
unknown member force. For example, MC = 0 requires FGE to be compressive
because it must balance the moment of the 300-N force about C.

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Example: Use the method of sections to determine the axial forces in member CE,
DE, and DF.

Solution:
The free-body diagrams for the entire
structure and the section to the right of the
cut are shown.
From the entire structure:
ƩMA = -12 kip (4 ft) + H (12 ft) = 0
H = 4 kips
Using the section to the right of the cut, we
have
ƩME: H(4 ft) – TDF (4 ft) = 0
TDF = 4 kips
ƩMD : H (8 ft) + TCE (4 ft) = 0
TCE = -8 kips
ƩFy : H - TDE sin 45° = 0
TDE = 5.66 kips

Therefore, we have:
DF = 4 kips (T)
CE = 8 kips (C)
DE = 5.66 kips (T)

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Example: Determine the axial forces in members DG and BE of the truss.

Solution:
We cannot obtain a section that involves cutting members DG and BE without
cutting more than three members. However, cutting members DG, BE, CD, and BC
results in a section with which we can determine the axial forces in members DG
and BE.
From the free-body diagram of the entire
truss as shown in figure:
Ax=0
From symmetry:
Ay=K= 2F
OR:
ƩMA = -LF – (2L) (2F) – (3L) F + (4L) K = 0
K=2F
ƩFy = Ay+ K - F - 2F - F = 0
=Ay+ 2F - F - 2F - F = 0
Ay=2F

In the figure, we obtain a section by cutting

members DG, CD, BC, and BE. Because the lines
of action of TBE, TBC, and TCD pass through point
B, we can determine TDG by summing moments about B:
MB= -L (2F) – (2L) TDG= 0
TDG=-F

Then, from the equilibrium equation:

ƩFx= TDG+ TBE= 0

We see that TBE =- TDG =F Member DG is in compression,

and member BE is in tension.

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Homework
1. Determine the force in members BC, CF, and FE. State if the members are in
tension or compression.

2. Determine the force in members:

 LK, KC, and CD
 KJ, KD, and CD
State if the members are in tension or compression.

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3. For the truss shown in figure below:

 Determine the force in members BC, HC, and HG. After the truss is
sectioned, use a single equation of equilibrium for the calculation of each
force. State if these members are in tension or compression.
 Determine the force in members CD, CF, and CG and state if these
members are in tension or compression.

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