center of mass

center of mass

n. pl. centers of mass Abbr. CM

The point in a system of bodies or an extended body at which the mass of the system may be considered to be concentrated and at which external forces may be considered to be applied. Also called barycenter, centroid.

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center of mass

A point in space determined by a distribution of mass (such as a solid object, a collection of objects, or a gas), such that a uniform force acting on the whole distribution acts as if the distribution were located at just that point. For example, the gravitational force on Earth attracts small objects as if it were pulling them from their center of mass (in this case, the center of mass is also called the center of gravity). Two stars in orbit around each other revolve around their collective center of mass. See also barycenter.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

center of mass - point representing the mean position of the matter in a body centre of mass midpoint, centre, center - a point equidistant from the ends of a line or the extremities of a figure center of buoyancy, center of immersion, centre of buoyancy, centre of immersion - (physics) the center of mass of the immersed part of ship or other floating object barycenter - (astronomy) the common center of mass around which two or more bodies revolve centroid - the center of mass of an object of uniform density