Physics
A hollow cone is kept upright on a table. When sand is slowly poured in it, the centre of gravity of the cone-sand system will :
- always rise continuously
- always fall continuously
- first falls and then rises
- remain fixed at the same point
Answer
first falls and then rises
Reason — When sand is gradually poured into a hollow cone standing upright, the centre of gravity of the cone–sand system initially moves downward because the sand first accumulates near the base of the cone, adding mass lower than the cone’s original centre of gravity.
As more sand is added, the level of sand rises and the additional mass begins to lie higher in the cone, which shifts the centre of gravity upward.
Therefore, the centre of gravity of the system first falls and then rises.
Related Questions
Where should the centre of gravity of a body be located for stable equilibrium?
- above the base
- near the geometric centre
- can be anywhere
- both (1) and (2)
Two objects have the same mass but different shapes. Which object would have a higher centre of gravity?
- the one with a larger base
- the one with a smaller base
- both would have the same centre of gravity
- it depends on the material of the object.
A child starts eating an ice cream from a fully-filled cone. What happens to its centre of gravity?
- rises continuously
- falls continuously
- remains constant
- none of the above
A hollow spherical tank is half-filled with oil. If water (denser than oil) is added, the overall centre of gravity will :
- move upward
- move downward
- remain at the same point
- first rises and then falls