SIMPLIFIED: "6.4: Center of Mass"

Link to article: https://phys.libretexts.org/Courses/Georgia_State_University/GSU-TM-Physics_I_(2211)/06%3A_Mass_and_Inertia/6.04%3A_Center_of_Mass 

Note: The image above was taken from the original article.

The article linked above is about the center of mass! This concept can probably go under physics, but it is still crucial to understand in engineering, so I put it in this category. So, what is the center of mass? It is the point in an object where all of that object’s mass is concentrated. When doing calculations, we can assume that all of the object’s mass is at that single point (obviously all of the mass isn’t at the single point but the center of mass lets us assume that). 

Many objects are evenly shaped and have evenly distributed mass. If this is the case, then the center of mass of that object is right smack dab in the middle. Here is an example: if you want to find the center of mass of a ruler, it is almost always going to be right in the middle. 

However, some objects aren’t evenly shaped. For instance, think about a broom. One end is just the handle, but the other end is the actual broom. Since the end with the actual broom takes up more mass, the center of mass will be closer to the side with the broom. This same idea can be applied to sledgehammers, spears, or anything where one end is the handle and the other is something heavier.

In engineering, center of mass is important because it can act as the balance point. Knowing the center of mass means that you know the balance point, which is very helpful information when designing a prototype and ensuring that it won’t fall apart. And by the way, center of gravity and center of mass are very often used interchangeably for objects on Earth at the introductory level, so don’t get confused by that.