# Centroid of an isoceles triangle

## Homework Statement

Where is the center of mass of an isoceles triangle?

## Homework Equations

xcm=∫xdV/V (where V is the volume of the triangle)

## The Attempt at a Solution

The representation of the sides is what I'm confused with. Flipping the triangle to it's side is what's recommended to be able to express it better. Taking a small chunk and labeling it's side, you can express the length of this chunk to be 2y(replacing y with b(the base)). My issue is what should I label the shorter side as? Should I label it as x, another variable, or in terms of y?

## Answers and Replies

kuruman
Science Advisor
Homework Helper
Gold Member
2021 Award
You are not describing very well your difficulty with this. An isosceles triangle needs two numbers to be defined. Common choices are the base ##b## and the the two equal sides ##a## or the base ##b## and the two equal angles ##\theta##, or the base ##b## and the height ##h##. You can choose any two symbols to label these. Personally, I would choose the base and the height. Of course, to find the CM you need to integrate over variables so, to avoid confusion, it is a good idea to reserve ##x## and ##y## as the names of the integration variables. So pick a scheme, and then explain what your difficulty is. Providing a drawing would be a nice touch.

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