Caroline. It is precisely so; look Emily, as I throw this ball directly upwards, how gravity and the resistance of the air conquer projection. Now I will throw it upwards obliquely: see, the force of projection enables it, for an instant, to act in opposition to that of gravity; but it is soon brought down again.
Mrs. B. The curve-line which the ball has described, is called in geometry a parabola; but when the ball is thrown perpendicularly upwards, it will descend perpendicularly; because the force of projection, and that of gravity, are in the same line of direction.
We have noticed the centres of magnitude, and of motion; but I have not yet explained to you, what is meant by the centre of gravity; it is that point in a body, about which all the parts exactly balance each other; if therefore that point be supported, the body will not fall. Do you understand this?
Emily. I think so; if the parts round about this point have an equal tendency to fall, they will be in equilibrium, and as long as this point is supported, the body cannot fall.
Mrs. B. Caroline, what would be the effect, were the body supported in any other single point?
Caroline. The surrounding parts no longer balancing each other, the body, I suppose, would fall on the side at which the parts are heaviest.
Mrs. B. Infallibly; whenever the centre of gravity is unsupported, the body must fall. This sometimes happens with an overloaded wagon winding up a steep hill, one side of the road being more elevated than the other; let us suppose it to slope as is described in this figure, ([plate 3. fig. 4.]) we will say, that the centre of gravity of this loaded wagon is at the point A. Now your eye will tell you, that a wagon thus situated, will overset; and the reason is, that the centre of gravity A, is not supported; for if you draw a perpendicular line from it to the ground at C, it does not fall under the wagon within the wheels, and is therefore not supported by them.