Question

A sculpture is 5.43 m tall and has its CG located 2.36 m above the center of its base. The base is a square with a side of 1.71 m. To what angle Θ can the sculpture be tipped before it falls over?

Θ = _______ degrees

Answer 1

The sculpture topples when the vertical line through the center of gravity falls just outside the side of the base.

Draw a vertical line through the C.G. just touching the side line of the base in the tilted position of the sculpture. This line makes an angle of θ with the line passing through the center of the sculpture. The right angled triangle formed has adjacent side 1.6 m and opposite side 5.2 m .

tan θ = half the base / h = (1.71/2) / 2.36 = 0.3623

θ = 19.91 deg.