Centre of gravity

When a car goes round a corner at speed, it may topple over. The stability of a car depends on the height of its centre of mass and the distance between its front wheels. Which factors give the car the greatest stability?

May/June 2015

Four table lamps are illustrated, together with the position M of the centre of mass in each case. Which lamp is the most stable?

May/June 2016

Four objects, all with equal mass, are resting on a table. For each object, its centre of mass is shown by G. Which object is the least stable?

May/June 2018

Four objects, each with the same mass, are placed at rest on a table. The centre of mass of every object is marked $G$. Which object has the lowest stability?

May/June 2018

Which statement concerning centre of mass is correct?

May/June 2019

A big hook is attached to a pencil. The hook and pencil are in equilibrium on the edge of a table, as shown. Where is the centre of mass of the hook and pencil?

May/June 2019

A horizontal beam is hinged at X. A mass of $200\,\text{g}$ is placed on the beam, as shown. The beam’s centre of mass is $50\,\text{cm}$ from the beam’s right-hand end. The beam stays balanced. Determine the mass of the beam.

May/June 2021

The diagram illustrates a wooden play tower for children. Which alteration to the tower would make it more stable?

May/June 2021

Fig. 8.1 shows a horse standing still with its rider, just before they jump over two fences. Fig. 8.2 gives a side view of the horse.

May/June 2021

There are four glass objects, each with a square base of equal area. Which object is the least stable?

May/June 2022

The centre of mass of a solid rectangular block lies at its midpoint. A small heavy weight is available. For which arrangement is the centre of mass positioned lowest?

May/June 2022

There are four objects with the same shape but different mass distributions. The dot labelled G shows the centre of gravity of each object. Which object is the most stable?

May/June 2024

In Fig. 4.1, a screwdriver with mass 64 g is shown balanced in equilibrium on a pivot.

Oct/Nov 2015

A sports car is built to remain very stable while taking a corner at high speed. Fig. 2.1 shows where the centre of mass of the car is located. Fig. 2.2 shows a piece of card with an irregular shape.

Oct/Nov 2018

A student is trying to balance a non-uniform object on a pivot. To make this happen, a weight is hung close to the left-hand end of the object, as shown. Where would the centre of mass of the object be?

Oct/Nov 2019

A student is balancing a non-uniform object on a pivot. To do this, a weight is hung close to the left-hand end of the object, as shown. Where is the centre of mass of the object?

Oct/Nov 2019

The mass of a glass beaker is 50 g. A liquid with density $1.8\,\text{g cm}^{-3}$ is added to the beaker until the level reaches the $200\,\text{cm}^3$ mark.

Oct/Nov 2020

Four solid objects are made from the same material and each has the same volume. Which object is the most stable?

Oct/Nov 2021

Fig. 4.1 illustrates a cardboard lamina with three small holes and a piece of string that has a small mass fixed to one end. Together, the string and mass are known as a plumb line.

Oct/Nov 2021

Four objects with equal mass are placed on a table and remain at rest. For each object, the centre of mass is marked $G$. Which object is the least stable?

Oct/Nov 2022

Four objects with the same mass are at rest on a table. The centre of mass of each object is marked $G$. Which object is the least stable?

Oct/Nov 2022

A card with uniform thickness and density hangs freely from a horizontal pin. The diagram shows the card in equilibrium. Which cross marks the centre of gravity of the card?

Oct/Nov 2024

A student balances a non-uniform object on a pivot. To achieve this, a weight is hung close to the left-hand end of the object, as shown. Where is the centre of gravity of the object?

Oct/Nov 2025

Which statement is correct about the centre of gravity?

Oct/Nov 2025