#Mass finder calculator how to#

Start with an easy shape: Cut out a rectangular piece of paper or cardboard.(Alternatively, you can use any other small object such as a metal washer on one end-this will serve as a weight-and any other small, pointy object like a needle or pushpin on the other end-this will be used to puncture the paper.) Cut a piece of string about one foot long and tie a paper clip to each end.Two paper clips or a pushpin and another small, relatively heavy object you can tie to the string (such as a metal washer).Scissors (Have an adult help with cutting if necessary-especially on thicker materials.).Paper (Heavier paper, such as construction paper, card stock or thin cardboard from the side of a cereal box will work best.).Don't believe it? Try this activity to find out! This technique can be used for any irregular two-dimensional shape. So, if you hang a shape from two different points (one at a time) and draw a line straight down from each point, the center of mass is where those lines intersect.

If you hang a shape from a single point, you know the center of mass will always rest directly below that point.

#Mass finder calculator how to#

What about irregularly shaped objects such as a dog or cat or person? Now finding the center of mass is not so easy! This activity will show you how to find the center of mass for any two-dimensional shape you cut out of paper using a trick that has to do with the hanging picture frame mentioned above. The same applies to other symmetrical objects such as a spherical basketball you know the center of mass is in the middle of the sphere. When you hang the picture frame, you will make sure it is centered on the nail-otherwise it will tip to one side and will be off-center. For example, for a rectangular picture frame, you know the center of mass is in the middle of the rectangle and you can find that with a ruler. Or if you hang an object, for example a picture frame from a nail, the center of mass will hang directly below the nail.įor symmetrical objects, finding the center of mass is relatively easy. The center of mass is the point about which an object will balance if you try to rest it on your fingertip.

How do you define the exact center of an object? One way to do this is to find the object's center of mass. But how do you find the “middle” of an irregular shape such as a drawing of a dog or a cat? This project will show you how to do it using nothing but string and paper clips! With a little time, you can probably find the center of simple shapes such as circles and squares pretty easily.