Obtain an expression for the position vector of the centre of mass of a system of $n$ particles in one dimension.

Vedclass pdf generator app on play store
Vedclass iOS app on app store
(N/A) Consider a system of two particles of masses $m_1$ and $m_2$ located at positions $x_1$ and $x_2$ respectively from the origin $O$ on the $X$-axis. The centre of mass $C$ of this system is located at a position $X$ given by:
$X = \frac{m_1 x_1 + m_2 x_2}{m_1 + m_2}$
Here,$X$ (also denoted as $r_{cm}$) is the mass-weighted mean of the positions. If the two particles have equal masses $(m_1 = m_2 = m)$,then:
$X = \frac{m x_1 + m x_2}{m + m} = \frac{x_1 + x_2}{2}$
This shows that for two particles of equal mass,the centre of mass lies exactly at the midpoint. For a system of $n$ particles with masses $m_1, m_2, \dots, m_n$ at positions $x_1, x_2, \dots, x_n$ respectively,the position of the centre of mass $X$ is given by the weighted average:
$X = \frac{\sum_{i=1}^{n} m_i x_i}{\sum_{i=1}^{n} m_i}$
Defining the total mass of the system as $M = \sum_{i=1}^{n} m_i$,the expression becomes:
$X = \frac{1}{M} \sum_{i=1}^{n} m_i x_i$

Explore More

Similar Questions

Three identical spheres each of diameter $2\sqrt{3} \text{ m}$ are kept on a horizontal surface such that each sphere touches the other two spheres. If one of the spheres is removed,then the shift in the position of the centre of mass of the system is

$A$ uniform rod of length $L$ and mass $M$ is placed along the $x$-axis with its one end at the origin. The centre of mass of the rod is located at:

On a horizontal frictionless frozen lake,a girl of mass $36 \,kg$ and a box of mass $9 \,kg$ are connected to each other by means of a rope. Initially,they are $20 \,m$ apart. The girl exerts a horizontal force on the box,pulling it towards her. How far has the girl travelled when she meets the box?

Three identical metal balls,each of radius $r$,are placed touching each other on a horizontal surface such that an equilateral triangle is formed when the centres of the three balls are joined. The centre of mass of the system is located at:

The centre of mass of two particles lies:

Vedclass Products

For Students

Vedclass Test Series

Mock tests in real JEE/NEET style with performance analysis. 5-day free trial.

Start Free Trial
For Teachers

Exam Paper Generator

Generate Set A/B/C/D exam papers from 7.5L+ questions in 2 minutes. 3 chapters free.

Try Free
For Institutes

Online Exam Module

Live online exams with unlimited students, 360° analytics & white-label branding.

See Demo