CHAPTER
V
FIRST MOMENTS
AND
CENTROIDS
79.
First
Moments. In
the
preceding
chapters
moments
of
forces with
respect
to
points
and lines
have
frequently
been used.
In the
analysis
of
many
problems
in
engineering, however, expres-
sions are
frequently
met which
represent
moments of
volumes,
masses, areas,
and
lines.
The moment of
a
volume, mass,
1
area,
or line with
respect
to
an
axis or
plane
is the
algebraic
sum of the
moments of the
elementary parts
of
the
volume, mass, area,
or
line,
the
moment
of
an
elementary part
being
the
product
of
the ele-
mentary part
(volume,
mass, area,
or
line)
and
its distance from
the moment axis or
plane.
This
moment of a
volume, mass, etc.,
is called the
first
moment when it is
desired to
distinguish
it
from
the moment of inertia
(or
second
moment)
of the
volume,
area,
etc.
(see
Chapter VI),
since the
coordinate
distances
of
the
parts
of
the
volume, mass, area,
or
line
enter into
the
expression
for
the
first moment
to the
first
power
and into
the
expression
for the
second moment to the second
power.
80. Centroids.
In
dealing
with a
system
of
parallel
forces
in
a
plane
it was found from the
principle
of
moments that the
alge-
braic sum of the moments
of
the forces
about a
point
or axis
is
equal
to the moment of the resultant of the forces
with
respect
to the same
point
or axis. That
is,
2(F-x)
=
2F-x
=
Rx
(Art.
26).
This
equation
was
frequently
used in
Chapter
II
to locate
the
position
of the
resultant,
that
is,
to determine
x
after first
finding
the sum of the moments of the
forces,
2(F-x).
When
the
posi-
tion of the resultant is
known, however,
the
moment of
the
system
of
forces is most
easily
found
by
determining
the moment
(Rx)
of
the
resultant.
1
The
term
mass
cannot
be denned
completely
nor
its
physical
significance
discussed
until the
laws
of
motion
of
physical
bodies are
treated.
(See
Chapter
IX.)
As
here used it is sufficient to think of mass as
the
inert
mate-
rial
or matter of which
bodies
are
composed,
the
quantitative
expression
of
which
is
the
volume
of the
body
times a
density
factor.
160