Why Can the Center of Mass Lie Outside an Object's Surface?

AI Thread Summary
The center of mass of an object can lie outside its surface when the object has an irregular shape or is not spherically symmetric, such as two touching balls or a donut. In these cases, the center of mass is determined by the distribution of mass within the object, which can result in a location that falls outside the physical boundaries. For example, in the case of a donut, the center of mass is located at the center of the hole. The discussion also touches on the concept of averages, questioning whether the average of a set of numbers must be one of those numbers. Understanding these principles helps clarify when the center of mass is inside or outside an object's surface.
pras_quantum
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can some one explain me why,center of mass of an object can lie outside the surface of the object also?
 
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Why don't you explain why you think it cannot?
 
actually i want to know when will it lie inside or outside the objects..so please explain.
 
pras_quantum said:
can some one explain me why,center of mass of an object can lie outside the surface of the object also?

If the body is not so spherically symmetric, for example, two equal balls touching, then the center of inertia is between them (at the touching point). If there are three balls, the center of inertia will be at the geometrical center of this figure. So it is possible if the body is not spherically symmetric but has a complicated form.
 
pras_quantum said:
actually i want to know when will it lie inside or outside the objects..so please explain.
Consider a donut (with a hole in the middle). Where is its center of mass?
 
thank you people for helping me...
 
Just another comment:

If you take the average of 10 (or some other quantity) numbers, pras_quant, must the average of those numbers be one of those numbers?
 

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