4. Momentum and Collisions

Center Of Mass — Quiz

Test your understanding of center of mass with 5 practice questions.

Practice Questions

Question 1

A system of particles has a total mass $M$ and its center of mass is at position $\vec{R}_{CM}$. If an external force $\vec{F}_{ext}$ acts on the system, which of the following equations describes the motion of the center of mass?

Question 2

A uniform square plate of side length $L$ has its bottom-left corner at the origin $(0,0)$. What are the coordinates of its center of mass?

Question 3

If a system's center of mass is accelerating, which of the following must be true?

Question 4

A system consists of two particles of masses $m_1 = 2\,\text{kg}$ and $m_2 = 4\,\text{kg}$ located at positions $x_1 = 1\,\text{m}$ and $x_2 = 5\,\text{m}$ respectively. What is the x-coordinate of the center of mass?

Question 5

A thin rod of length $L$ has a linear mass density given by $\lambda(x) = Ax^2$, where $A$ is a constant and $x$ is the distance from one end ($x=0$). What is the x-coordinate of the center of mass?