Questions: Under which circumstances is an object's center of gravity equal to its center of mass? They are always equal. Only when the magnitude of the gravitational field is uniform Only when the gravitational field is uniform in both magnitude and direction They are never equal. Only when the direction of the gravitational field is uniform

Solution Steps

The center of gravity (CG) is the point where the total weight of the body acts, while the center of mass (CM) is the point where the mass of the body is considered to be concentrated.

The center of gravity and center of mass coincide when the gravitational field is uniform. This means that the gravitational force acts equally on all parts of the object, both in magnitude and direction.

• "They are always equal" is incorrect because the CG and CM can differ in a non-uniform gravitational field.
• "Only when the magnitude of the gravitational field is uniform" is incorrect because uniform magnitude alone does not ensure uniform direction.
• "Only when the gravitational field is uniform in both magnitude and direction" is correct because this ensures that the gravitational force is consistent across the object.
• "They are never equal" is incorrect because there are conditions under which they are equal.
• "Only when the direction of the gravitational field is uniform" is incorrect because uniform direction alone does not ensure uniform magnitude.

Final Answer