Spherical Coordinates and Centre of Mass

In summary, the conversation is about finding the x-coordinate of the centre of mass for a given region in spherical coordinates. The person asking for help is unsure of the density function but knows the formula for the centre of mass. They are prompted to consider a density of 1 and are reminded of the differential of volume in spherical coordinates.
  • #1
JaysFan31
Wondering if someone could help me get this answer. I don't get spherical coordinates at all.

The volume of the region given in spherical coordinates by the inequalities
3 less than or equal to rho less than or equal to 5
0 less than or equal to phi less than or equal to pi/6
-pi/6 less than or equal to theta less than or equal to pi/6
is filled with uniform material. Find the x-coordinate of the centre of mass.

Thanks for any help.

John
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
You need to show your work before you get help. What are your thoughts/ideas on this problem?
 
  • #3
Ok. I know that the centre of mass is the triple integration of density x-bar over just the triple integration of the mass. I guess I don't know what the density function is. I'm pretty sure that x=rhosin(phi)cos(theta).

I'll integrate with the given bounds. But what is the density function?
 
  • #4
Well, what happens if the density is 1 (with appropriate units)?
 
  • #5
You will also need to know that the "differential of volume" in spherical coordinates is
[tex]\rho^2 sin(\phi)d\rho d\theta d\phi[/tex]
(I'm sure that's in your textbook!)
 

1. What are spherical coordinates?

Spherical coordinates are a system of coordinates used to locate points in 3-dimensional space. They are represented by (r, θ, φ), where r is the distance from the origin, θ is the angle from the z-axis, and φ is the angle from the x-axis.

2. How are spherical coordinates related to Cartesian coordinates?

Spherical coordinates can be converted to Cartesian coordinates using the formulas x = r sin(θ) cos(φ), y = r sin(θ) sin(φ), and z = r cos(θ). Conversely, Cartesian coordinates can be converted to spherical coordinates using the formulas r = √(x^2 + y^2 + z^2), θ = arctan(y/x), and φ = arccos(z/r).

3. What is the centre of mass in spherical coordinates?

The centre of mass in spherical coordinates is the point where the mass of a system is concentrated. It is calculated by taking the weighted average of the position vectors of all the particles in the system, with the weights being the masses of the particles.

4. How do you find the centre of mass using spherical coordinates?

To find the centre of mass using spherical coordinates, you first need to convert the coordinates of each particle in the system to Cartesian coordinates. Then, you can use the formula for finding the centre of mass in Cartesian coordinates, which is (xcm, ycm, zcm) = (1/M) ∑(m_i * x_i, m_i * y_i, m_i * z_i), where M is the total mass of the system and m_i and (x_i, y_i, z_i) are the mass and coordinates of each particle, respectively.

5. What is the significance of the centre of mass in physics?

The centre of mass is an important concept in physics because it helps us understand the motion and stability of objects. For example, when an object is in equilibrium, the centre of mass will remain stationary. Additionally, in systems with multiple objects, the centre of mass can be used to simplify calculations and understand the overall behavior of the system.

Similar threads

  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
3
Views
555
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
892
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
7
Views
2K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
6
Views
2K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
2K
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
8
Views
2K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
1K
Back
Top