Center of Mass Calculator

This is a Java applet illustrating visually both with geometry and algebra the calculation of the center of mass for two masses. All quantities in the vector diagram and the algebraic equations are updated dynamically as variables are changed. Applet Controls: The three sliders allow the separation (in astronomical units, light years or parsecs), and the masses (in units of solar masses) to be input. The choice menu at the bottom right allows switching between astronomical units (AU), light years (ly) and parsecs (pc) for the distance units.

Data Display: The upper left portion of the display area shows the diagram for location of the center of mass as the three parameters (total separation and each mass) are varied with the sliders.

The lower left portion of the display area shows the algebraic equations that are being solved to construct the vectors displayed in the upper left.