> [!summary] The center of mass in terms of dynamics describes the force the center of mass will feel and its effect on motion. > **Key Equations:** $F_{ext}=a_{cm}M$ >[!info]+ Read Time **⏱ 1 min** # Definition The center of mass in terms of dynamics describes the [[External & Internal Forces|external forces]] as if all the mass were centred on a point. This describes the motion of the center of mass using [[Newton Laws|Newton's laws]]. ## Derivation > [!warning] Assumptions To derive an equation to describe the external forces on the center of mass, assume the following: > - The [[Center of Mass Velocity & Momentum|velocity center of a mass]] in terms of [[Linear Momentum|momentum]] is $v_{cm} = \frac{p_{tot}}{M}\Rightarrow p_{tot}=v_{cm}M$ > - The [[Derivative|derivative]] of [[Velocity|velocity]] is [[Acceleration|acceleration]] > - The [[Derivative|derivative]] of [[Linear Momentum|momentum]] is the [[Newton Laws|external force]] $ \begin{array}{c} \frac{d}{dt} \left[ p_{tot}= v_{cm}M \right] \\ \frac{dp}{dt}=\frac{dv}{dt}M \\ F_{ext}=a_{cm}M \end{array} $ # Resources <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aIhScO3_I50?si=LBr7KTZt4r_Ge5_R&amp;start=2118" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>