Systems of Particles

Today’s Agenda

 Potential Energy & Force

 Systems of Particles

 Center of mass

 Velocity and acceleration of the center of mass

 Dynamics of the center of mass

Linear Momentum

 Example problems

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 1

 System of Particles

 Until now, we have considered the behavior of very simple

systems (one or two masses).
 But real life is usually much more interesting!
 For example, consider a simple rotating disk.

 An extended solid object (like a disk) can be thought of as

a collection of parts. The motion of each little part depends
on where it is in the object!

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 2

 System of Particles: Center of Mass Ice
table
 How do we describe the “position” of a system made up of
many parts?
 Define the Center of Mass (average position):
For a collection of N individual pointlike particles whose
masses and positions we know:

m2
N m1
 m i ri r
RCM  i 1 r1 RCM 2
N y m3
 mi r3
i 1
m4 r x
4
(In this case, N = 4)
Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 3
 System of Particles: Center of Mass

 If the system is made up of only two particles:

N
 m i ri m1 r1  m2 r2
i 1
RCM  
N
m1  m2
 mi
i 1


m1  m2 r1  m2 r2  r1 
m1  m2  r2 - r1
m2
m1 RCM
r2
m2 r1
So: RCM  r1  r2  r1 
M
y
where M = m1 + m2
x
Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 4
 System of Particles: Center of Mass

 If the system is made up of only two particles:

m2
RCM  r1  r2  r1 
M
where M = m1 + m2

If m1 = m2

1 r2 - r1
RCM  r1  r2  r1  + m2
2
m1 RCM
the CM is halfway between r2
r1
the masses.
y

x
Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 5
 System of Particles: Center of Mass

 If the system is made up of only two particles:

m2
RCM  r1  r2  r1 
M
where M = m1 + m2

If m1 = 3m2

1 r2 - r1
RCM  r1  r2  r1  m2
4 +
m1
the CM is now closer to RCM r2
r1
the heavy mass.
y

x
Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 6
 System of Particles: Center of Mass
Baton

 The center of mass is where the system is balanced!

Building a mobile is an exercise in finding centers of
mass.

+ m1
+ m2
m1 m2

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 7

 System of Particles: Center of Mass

 We can consider the components of RCM separately:

 i m i x i i m i y i i m i z i 
( X CM ,YCM , Z CM )   , , 

 M M M 

m2
m1
r
r1 RCM 2
y m3
r3
m4 r x
4
(In this case, N = 4)
Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 8
 Example Calculation:
 Consider the following mass distribution:

 i mi x i m0  ( 2 m )12  m24
X CM    12
M 4m

my m0  ( 2 m )12  m0 2m
YCM  i i i  6
M 4m (12,12)

m m
(0,0) (24,0)

RCM = (12,6)

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 9

 3 pronged
Lecture 13, Act 2 object
Center of Mass
Fork, spoon,
and match
 An object with three prongs of equal mass is balanced on a
wire (equal angles between prongs). What kind of
equilibrium is this position?

a) stable

b) neutral

c) unstable

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 10

 Lecture 13, Act 2
Solution
The center of mass of the If the object is pushed slightly to
object is at its center and is the left or right, its center of
initially directly over the wire mass will not be above the wire
and gravity will make the object
fall off

CM CM

mg mg

(front view)
Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 11
 Lecture 13, Act 2
Solution
 Consider also the case in which the two lower prongs have
balls of equal mass attached to them:

CM
CM
mg
mg

In this case, the center of mass When the object is pushed slightly,
of the object is below the wire gravity provides a restoring force,
creating a stable equilibrium

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 12

 Velocity and Acceleration
of the Center of Mass
 If its particles are moving, the CM of a system can also move.
 Suppose we know the position ri of every particle in the system
as a function of time.
1 N
  m i ri M  N
mi 
RCM 
M i 1  i 1 

dRCM 1 N dri 1 N
So: VCM    mi   mi v i
dt M i 1 dt M i 1

dVCM 1 N dv i 1 N
And: ACM    mi   m i ai
dt M i 1 dt M i 1
 The velocity and acceleration of the CM is just the weighted
average velocity and acceleration of all the particles.

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 13

 Linear Momentum:

 Definition: For a single particle, the momentum p is

defined as:
(p is a vector since v is a
p = mv
vector).

So px = mvx etc.

 Newton’s 2nd Law:

F = ma
d dp
 m dv  ( mv ) F 
dt dt dt

 Units of linear momentum are kg m/s.

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 14

 Linear Momentum:

 For a system of particles the total N N

momentum P is the vector sum of P  pi   m i v i
the individual particle momenta: i 1 i 1

N
 1 N 
But we just showed that  m i v i  MVCM VCM   mi v i 
i 1  M i 1 

So P  MVCM

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 15

 Linear Momentum:

 So the total momentum of a system of particles is just the

total mass times the velocity of the center of mass.

P  MVCM

dP dV
 Observe:  M CM  MACM   m i ai   Fi ,net
dt dt i i

dP
 We are interested in so we need to figure out  Fi ,net
dt i

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 16

 Linear Momentum:

 Suppose we have a system of three particles as shown.

Each particle interacts with every other, and in addition
there is an external force pushing on particle 1.


 Fi ,NET  F13  F12  F1,EXT
i
 m3
F31
 F21  F23 
F32

 F31  F32  F13

F23
 F1,EXT
(since the other forces m1 F12 F21
m2
cancel in pairs...Newton’s
3rd Law) F1,EXT

All of the “internal” forces cancel !!

Only the “external” force matters !!
Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 17
 Linear Momentum:

 Only the total external force matters!

dP
  Fi ,EXT  FNET ,EXT
dt i m3

Which is the same as:

dP m1
FNET ,EXT   MACM m2
dt
F1,EXT
Newton’s 2nd law applied to systems!

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 18

 Center of Mass Motion: Recap
Pork chop
 We have the following law for CM motion:
Pendulum
dP
FEXT   MACM
dt

 This has several interesting implications:

 It tells us that the CM of an extended object behaves like a

simple point mass under the influence of external forces:
We can use it to relate F and A like we are used to doing.
 It tells us that if FEXT = 0, the total momentum of the system
can not change.
The total momentum of a system is conserved if there
are no external forces acting.

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 19

 Example: Astronauts & Rope
 Two astronauts at rest in outer space are connected by a
light rope. They begin to pull towards each other. Where
do they meet?

M = 1.5m m

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 20

 Lecture 13, Act 3
Center of Mass Motion
 A man weighs exactly as much as his 20 foot long canoe.
 Initially he stands in the center of the motionless canoe, a
distance of 20 feet from shore. Next he walks toward the shore
until he gets to the end of the canoe.
What is his new distance from the shore.
(There no horizontal force on the canoe by the water).

20 ft
(a) 10 ft
before (b) 15 ft
20 ft (c) 16.7 ft
? ft

after
Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 21
 Recap of today’s lecture

 Systems of particles (Text: 8-1)

 Center of mass (Text: 8-1 & 12-6)

 Velocity and acceleration of the center of mass (Text:8-3)

 Dynamics of the center of mass (Text: 8-3 to 8-4)

Linear Momentum

 Example problems

Physics 111: Lecture 13, Pg 22