Balance Point of a Variable-Density Plate

A flat metal plate, or lamina, balances at a point called its center of mass. That balance point depends on the plate’s shape and on how mass is spread through the material. If the density changes from place to place, some regions affect the balance more than others.

The center of mass can be tre...

A flat metal plate balances at a specific point called the center of mass. This balance depends on the density of the material, which may vary from point to point within the object.

Conceptually, the center of mass is the weighted average of the plate's mass as it is distributed across the x and y coordinates. Here, the numer...