Question

The three masses shown in (figure 1) are connected by massless, rigid rods. Assume that m1 = 140 g and m2 = 350 g. What is the x-coordinate of the center of mass?

Answer 1

The x-coordinate of the center of mass of a system is calculated as the weighted average of the x-positions of the masses, but the question lacks details on distances and the third mass to provide a specific answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student is asking for the x-coordinate of the center of mass of a system consisting of three masses connected by massless, rigid rods. To find this, we would normally use the formula for the center of mass in one dimension:

`\[ x_(cm) = (m_1 \cdot x_1 + m_2 \cdot x_2 + m_3 \cdot x_3)/(m_1 + m_2 + m_3) \]`

Here,
`\( m_1, m_2, \) and \( m_3 \)` are the masses, and
`\( x_1, x_2, \) and \( x_3 \)` are their respective positions along the x-axis. Since the question does not provide specifics on distances or the third mass, we cannot calculate the exact x-coordinate without this information.

However, the principle involves summing the moments (product of mass and position) of each mass and then dividing by the total mass.