Another (mostly) calculus question

[onlinebiker]

Don't need calculus unless you're a masochist. If the rod is standing on the ground, its center of mass is 1/2 way up the bar. PE=mgl for the center of mass, thus mgl/2 for the bar.

Practically yes.


But - if picking nits --

Earth' s gravitational attraction is stronger at the " bottom" ( in relation to the earth) than it is at the top - so the center of mass will be below the centerpoint of the rod...