Article
Article
Center of mass
Article By:
Jones, Edwin R. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina.
Last reviewed:November 2019
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.118900
That point of a material object or a system of objects that moves as if all the external forces were acting on the entire mass of the object or the system of objects concentrated at that point. The motion of a material object or a system of objects can be described in terms of the translational motion of the center of mass and the rotational motion about the center of mass. See also: Rotational motion; Rigid-body dynamics
The content above is only an excerpt.
About AccessScience
AccessScience provides the most accurate and trustworthy scientific information available.
Recognized as an award-winning gateway to scientific knowledge, AccessScience is an amazing online resource that contains high-quality reference material written specifically for students. Contributors include more than 10,000 highly qualified scientists and 46 Nobel Prize winners.
MORE THAN 8700 articles covering all major scientific disciplines and encompassing the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology and McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science & Technology
115,000-PLUS definitions from the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms
3000 biographies of notable scientific figures
MORE THAN 19,000 downloadable images and animations illustrating key topics
ENGAGING VIDEOS highlighting the life and work of award-winning scientists
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY and additional readings to guide students to deeper understanding and research
LINKS TO CITABLE LITERATURE help students expand their knowledge using primary sources of information
