Center of mass and integrating

In summary, the problem is to find the center of mass of a solid with constant density bounded by specific surfaces. The solution involves calculating the mass and then using the formula for finding the center of mass. However, there is a mistake in the integration limits, resulting in an incorrect answer of 64/5 instead of the correct answer of 128/5.
  • #1
flame_m13
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Homework Statement


A solid "rough" of constant density ([tex]\delta[/tex] =1) is bounded below by the surface z=4y^2,above by the plane z=4, and one the ends by the planes x=1 and x=-1. Find the center of mass...

Homework Equations


[tex]_{M}[/tex]xy =[tex]\int\int\int[/tex] z [tex]\delta[/tex] dV
Mass = [tex]\int\int\int[/tex][tex]\delta[/tex]dV
then to find the center of mass, the z component would be [tex]_{M}[/tex]xy / M

The Attempt at a Solution


[tex]_{M}[/tex]xy = [tex]\int\int\int[/tex][tex]^{4}_{4y^2}[/tex] z [tex]\delta[/tex]dzdydx
=[tex]\int\int[/tex] [z^2/2][tex]^{4}_{4y^2}[/tex]dydx
=[tex]\int[/tex][tex]^{1}_{-1}[/tex][tex]\int[/tex][tex]^{1}_{0}[/tex](8-8y^4)dydx
=8[tex]\int^{1}_{-1}[/tex][y-y^5/5][tex]^{1}_{0}[/tex] dx =8[tex]\int[/tex][tex]^{1}_{-1}[/tex][4/5]dx
=8[4x/5][tex]^{1}_{-1}[/tex] = 8[4/5+4/5]= 64/5

For some reason, and it isn't obvious to me why, the solution manual says that this answer should be 128/5. I'm off by a factor of 2, but i don't know what i did wrong. I haven't attempted to find the mass yet, but i think once i understand what I did wrong here, that answer shouldn't be hard to find.
 
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  • #2
Why are you integrating, with respect to y, from y= 0 to y= 1? The "cylinder" z= 4y2 intersects the plane z= 4 at y= -1 and 1.
 
  • #3
HallsofIvy said:
Why are you integrating, with respect to y, from y= 0 to y= 1? The "cylinder" z= 4y2 intersects the plane z= 4 at y= -1 and 1.

i don't know why that didn't register with me. thanks for pointing that out. my answer is now 128/5, the same as the book's.
 

1. What is the center of mass?

The center of mass is the point at which an object's mass is evenly distributed, meaning that the object would balance perfectly at that point if suspended.

2. How is the center of mass calculated?

The center of mass can be calculated by finding the weighted average of the individual masses in an object. This can be done by multiplying the mass of each part of the object by its distance from a reference point and then dividing the sum of these products by the total mass of the object.

3. Why is the center of mass important?

The center of mass is important because it helps us understand an object's stability and how it will behave when subjected to external forces. It is also used in engineering and physics calculations, such as determining the trajectory of a projectile or designing structures that can support their own weight.

4. What is the difference between center of mass and center of gravity?

While the center of mass refers to the point at which an object's mass is evenly distributed, the center of gravity refers to the point at which the gravitational force on an object is balanced. In most cases, the center of mass and center of gravity are at the same point, but this may not be the case in objects with irregular shapes or when considering gravitational forces from multiple bodies.

5. How does integrating affect the center of mass?

Integrating, which is the mathematical process of finding the area under a curve, can be used to determine the center of mass of an object with a continuous distribution of mass. By integrating the mass of each infinitesimal element of the object, the center of mass can be calculated. This method is particularly useful for finding the center of mass of complex shapes or non-uniform objects.

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