Where's an object (like Texas) balanced from?🤠
The center of gravity is the average location of the weight of an object. It is also the point where an object is perfectly balanced, meaning the net torque due to gravity is zero. Torque is a force acting at a distance from a pivot point, which tends to cause rotation about that pivot. If we break an object into many small pieces, each piece experiences a gravitational force. Each of these forces creates a torque about the center of gravity. When all of the torques caused by gravity on each piece are added together, the net torque ends up being zero. This means that if you place your finger directly under an object’s center of gravity, it will balance and not fall. One method of experimentally finding the center of gravity is to hang an object from a point, while also hanging a plumb bob on a string directly in front of it. Gravity pulls the object so that its center of gravity lies directly below the hanging point. Gravity also pulls on the plumb bob, creating a vertical line. The center of gravity lies somewhere along this line. Repeat this process from several different points to create multiple lines. The point where the lines intersect is the location of the center of gravity. If you throw the object into the air and it spins, it will rotate about the center of gravity. Additionally, the center of gravity follows a parabolic path through the air, just like a projectile. In this demonstration, Dr. Dawson Nodurft balances the shape of Texas by finding its center of gravity.
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