Which of the following statements best describes how the motion of the center of mass…
PHYSICS · Single correct · CBSE · Physics · System of Particles and Rotational Motion · System of Particles and Rotational Motion
Problem
Which of the following statements best describes how the motion of the center of mass (CM) of an isolated system of particles compares with the motions of the individual particles in the system?
(a) The CM’s velocity is the arithmetic mean of the velocities of all particles; therefore, if any particle speeds up, the CM must speed up by the same amount.
(b) The CM accelerates whenever any internal force acts within the system, whereas individual particles accelerate only under external forces.
(c) The CM follows a path determined solely by external forces acting on the system, whereas each particle’s path is influenced by both internal and external forces.
(d) The CM is always located at the position of the most massive particle, so its path is identical to that particle’s path.