2007-12-17 16:08:53 · 3 answers · asked by coolgal 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
This is a neat question!
Just to get our bearings imagine holding the hemisphere by one edge. Clearly it will kick out its lower edge...a the center of mass will be on this vertical line where it intersects a line drawn through the center of the shell. (I wish I could upload a sketch...!)
OK, so now the question becomes: when is the cumulative mass of the surface on one side of this point equal to the cumulative mass on the other side. It will be OK to use surface areas as a direct measure of mass (assume the shell is uniform).
You'll have to use an integral to go further
2007-12-17 16:56:50 · answer #1 · answered by mute_tourette 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Somewhere inside the hollow. You'll just have to do the integral.
2007-12-18 00:26:12 · answer #2 · answered by Dr. R 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"The center of mass of a body need not be within the body itself; the center of mass of a ring or a hollow cylinder is located in the enclosed space, not in the object itself."
source: http://www.answers.com/topic/center-of-mass
Regards.
2007-12-18 00:22:57 · answer #3 · answered by Sameer Bagwe 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋