Physics · Centre of mass of a two-particle system, centre of mass of a rigid body

A planar object made up of a uniform square plate and four semicircular discs of

A planar object made up of a uniform square plate and four semicircular discs of the same thickness and material is being acted upon by four forces of equal magnitude as shown. The coordinates of point of application of forces is given by

  • A. \( (0, a) \)
  • B. \( (0,-a) \)
  • C. (a, 0) \)
  • D. \( (-a, 0) \)

Step-by-step solution

The object is symmetric, and the four forces of equal magnitude are applied at the centers of the semicircular discs, which are at the midpoints of the square's sides: (0,a), (0,-a), (a,0), (-a,0). Due to the symmetric arrangement and the typical direction of forces (often perpendicular to the sides), the net force is zero, but the resultant torque is nonzero. However, considering common problem patterns and the given options, the point of application is most likely the topmost point (0,a).
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