Centre of mass of curled-up human body

Selcaby

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I realise this is a very random thing to want to know. I don't even known who would know the answer -- maybe gymnasts or divers.

Imagine a curled-up human body: arms wrapped around the folded legs, head bent forward so the forehead is touching the knees.

Where's its centre of mass? Or equivalently, if it was allowed to rotate freely in mid-air, which way up would it settle?

The body belongs to a shortish, slim adult male, if that makes any difference to the answer.
 

GeorgeK

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You are describing the fetal position and it's the point of neutrality for humans. For men the center of mass is roughly the pancreas, for women, the uterus.
 

Drachen Jager

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If you're curled up in a ball the centre of mass is approximately the centre of the ball.

If allowed to rotate freely in mid-air, like in zero gee? It would keep spinning, it wouldn't 'settle'.
 

Selcaby

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Thank you for your replies.

It's not in zero gee, it's in normal gravity. Let's just say there is something holding him up, but it's not attached to any particular part of him. (Magic.)

And I think when you mention the pancreas and the uterus, those are for people standing up or lying flat. In my scenario, they'd be too close to one end.

Basically I'm just trying to work out what it looks like.
 

Selcaby

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I've decided to change the story, and I don't need to know about this topic any more. Phew.

It may be silly, but I was picturing Encyclopaedia Brown showing up and announcing that the murderer couldn't be the person I said it was because I got this particular detail wrong!

Thanks to those who replied.