Rankers Physics

Calculation of Center of Mass: Practice Problem & Solution

In carbon monoxide molecules, the carbon and the oxygen atoms are separated by a distance of 1.2 × 10 –10 m. The distance of the centre of mass from the carbon atom is
0.48 × 10–10 m
0.51 × 10–10 m
0.69 × 10–10 m
0.56 × 10–10 m

Solution Explained:

To solve this problem, we apply the core principles of Calculation of Center of Mass. Understanding the underlying formula is key to arriving at the correct answer below:

\[ x_{cm}= \frac{(m_{1}x_{1} + m_{2}x_{2})}{m_{1}+m_{2}} \]

\[ x_{cm}= \frac{12(0)+ 16 (1.2 × 10^{–10})}{12+16}= 0.69 \times 10^{–10} m \]

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