This higher tier covers Higher Tier: Centre of Mass within Moments & Levers for GCSE Physics. Revise Moments & Levers in Forces for GCSE Physics with 13 exam-style questions and 10 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 11 of 14 in this topic. This section is most useful once the core foundation idea is secure, because it adds the detail that pushes answers higher.
Topic position
Section 11 of 14
Practice
13 questions
Recall
10 flashcards
🎓 Higher Tier: Centre of Mass
Every object has a centre of mass — the point where the entire weight of the object appears to act. For uniform regular shapes, this is the geometric centre. For irregular objects, you can find it by suspending the object from different points — the centre of mass lies along the plumb line each time.
An object topples when a vertical line through its centre of mass falls outside its base. This is why lorries can tip on steep corners: their high centre of mass means the vertical line through it exits the wheelbase, and gravity causes rotation (tipping).
In equilibrium calculations, the weight of a uniform beam acts at its midpoint — this is an important assumption used in many exam questions.