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Engineering LibreTexts

Centroids and Area Moments of Inertia for 2D Shapes

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Shape with Area and Centroid Location Shown Rectangular Area Moments of Inertia Polar Area Moments of Inertia

Rectangle

A rectangle of length b and height h in the first quadrant of a Cartesian coordinate plane with axes labeled x' and y', with the lower left corner at the origin. The centroid is located at the coordinates x = b/2, y = h/2. Another coordinate system is located with its origin on the centroid, with axes labeled x and y.

Area=bh

Ix=112bh3Iy=112b3h

Jz=112bh(b2+h2)

Right Triangle

The first quadrant of a Cartesian coordinate plane with axes labeled x' and y'. A right triangle with its right angle at the origin of this plane lies with its base of length b along the x'-axis and its height of length h along the y'-axis. The centroid of the triangle, located h/3 units above and b/3 units to the right of this origin, is labeled C and forms the origin for a second Cartesian coordinate system with axes labled x and y.

Area=12bh

Ix=136bh3Iy=136b3h

Ix=112bh3Iy=112b3h

Triangle

The first quadrant of a Cartesian coordinate plane with axes labeled x' and y'. One vertex of a triangle lies at the origin of this plane, with one side of the triangle, of length b, lying along the x'-axis. The vertex where the other two sides of the shape intersect is located h units above the x'-axis. The centroid of the triangle is located h/3 units above and b/2 units to the right of the origin. The centroid, labeled C, forms the origin of another Cartesian coordinate system with axes labeled x and y.

Area=12bh

Ix=136bh3

Ix=112bh3

Circle

A circular disk of radius r is centered at the origin of a Cartesian coordinate plane with axes labeled x and y. The circle's centroid C is coincident with this origin.

Area=πr2

Ix=π4r4Iy=π4r4

Jz=π2r4

Circular Annulus

A disk of radius r_o is centered at the origin of a Cartesian coordinate plane with axes labeled x and y. A disk of smaller radius r_i, also centered at the origin, is removed from that larger disk. The centroid of the shape, labeled C, is coincident with this origin.

Area=π(r2or2i)

Ix=π4(r4or4i)Iy=π4(r4or4i)

Jz=π2(r4or4i)

Semicircle

A Cartesian coordinate plane with axes labeled x' and y has the straight edge of a semicircle of radius r lying along the x-axis, centered at the origin. The semicircle stretches upwards along the positive y-axis. The centroid C of the semicircle lies on the y-axis, a distance 4r/(3 pi) units above the origin. Point C forms the origin of another Cartesian coordinate system, with the x-axis stretching to the right and the y-axis shared with the existing y-axis.

Area=π2r2

Ix=(π889π)r4

Iy=π8r4

Ix=π8r4

Jz=(π489π)r4

Quarter Circle

The first quadrant of a Cartesian coordinate plane with axes labeled x' and y'. The two sides of a quarter-circle of radius r, centered at the origin, lie along these axes. The centroid C of the quarter circle is located a distance of 4r/(3 pi) units above and 4r/(3 pi) units to the right of the origin. Point C forms the origin of another Cartesian coordinate system, with axes labeled x and y.

Area=π4r2

Ix=(π1649π)r4Iy=(π1649π)r4

Ix=π16r4Iy=π16r4

Jz=(π889π)r4

Ellipse

An ellipse lies with its centroid C at the origin of a Cartesian coordinate plane with axes labled x and y. Its semi-major axis, of length a, stretches along the x-axis and its semi-minor axis of length stretches along the y-axis.

Area=πab

Ix=π4ab3Iy=π4a3b

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