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

[pras_quantum]

can some one explain me why,center of mass of an object can lie outside the surface of the object also?

 

[Doc Al]

Why don't you explain why you think it cannot?

 

[pras_quantum]

actually i want to know when will it lie inside or outside the objects..so please explain.

 

[Bob_for_short]

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.

 

[Doc Al]

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?

 

[pras_quantum]

thank you people for helping me...

 

[arildno]

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?