center of mass

noun phrase

: the point in a body or system of bodies at which the whole mass may be considered as concentrated

Examples of center of mass in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
To maintain all this, the robot’s control systems must continuously calculate its center of mass. Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 15 Feb. 2026 He’s got a low center of gravity, low center of mass. David Ubben, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025 The parent would shift themselves closer to the pivot point, moving the center of mass closer to the pivot. Keith Cooper, Space.com, 6 Oct. 2025 As long as the center of mass sits above the table, the object stays put. Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 6 July 2025 There's the inescapable gravitational force (mg), which acts at the center of mass. Rhett Allain, WIRED, 2 Aug. 2024 The potential energy of the pyramid—the energy needed to lift the mass above ground level—is simply the product of acceleration due to gravity, mass, and the center of mass, which in a pyramid is one-quarter of its height. IEEE Spectrum, 27 May 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of center of mass was in 1862

Cite this Entry

“Center of mass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/center%20of%20mass. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

center of mass

: the point in a body or system of bodies at which the whole mass can be thought of as concentrated
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