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.
Binaries are systems of two stars revolving around a mutual center of mass. Andrej Prša, The Conversation, 23 July 2025 So the center of mass of the rests perfectly balanced above the edge of the table. Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 6 July 2025 So long as the center of mass falls inside a loading zone, the tetrahedron will balance on only one face. Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 25 June 2025 Check out the relationship between Soto’s bat speed and his point of contact, which in the table below is measured from the front of Soto’s center of mass. Eno Sarris, New York Times, 16 May 2025 This shift affected their leg positioning and pushed their center of mass forward. Joseph M. Mahoney, The Conversation, 6 May 2025 However, most walking models used for robots assume a constant center of mass height throughout the gait as part of the model. IEEE Spectrum, 5 Dec. 2018 The center of mass would move 2.9 centimeters from its previous position. Rhett Allain, WIRED, 20 Dec. 2024 The approximate location of the center of pressure is denoted by a dot in the upper left diagram; the distance from it to the robot’s center of mass is given by r cp. IEEE Spectrum, 14 Feb. 2019

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 29 Jul. 2025.

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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