A tower is easier to support when its combined weight acts above its base. Moving a load sideways shifts that weight line. If the line falls outside the support, the tower can tip. A wider base can support a farther sideways shift.
Engineering and scientific investigation · Discover & try
When does a supported object tend to tip?
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Centre of mass
The mass-weighted average position of an object.
Base of support
The region over which contact can support the object.
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Ideal attached rigid parts on a supporting surface under gravity. Wind, sliding, deformation and material failure are omitted.
What to look for
- The combined weight line lands inside the base and the tower stays still.
- The line falls outside; the illustrated tower tips around the base edge.
- The same shifted load is now supported by the wider base.
Explain what you noticed
A different supported model has its weight line outside the left edge. Which change directly addresses that problem?
Keep this idea: For this ideal tipping model, compare the combined mass projection with the base of support.
Follow the sources
- University of Maryland Physics — Center of Mass: Leaning Tower
- Western Washington University — Center of Mass Tower
Source material checked 2026-10-29. Explanations and activities by Nepedia. Source links do not imply endorsement.
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