Centers of Gravity of Squares, Brackets and Triangles
Balance proofs after Archimedes' On Weights (ff. 17v-16r)
A double-page spread of proofs on the center of gravity of plane figures. On 17v Leonardo locates the center of a square at the crossing of its diagonals and the center of a trapezoidal bracket (mensola) on the line dividing it in half, working the weights in roots; on 16r he treats two equal and two unequal triangles, showing when they balance and citing the first proposition of Archimedes' On Weights. The pages carry many lettered diagrams of squares, brackets, triangles and inscribed figures.
On this page
Center of gravity of a square lies where its diagonals cross
For a square a b c d with equal sides and angles, the lines from a to d and from b to c meet at the middle point K, which is the center of gravity. Hung at K the square balances, since all opposite parts lie equally far from K and so weigh equally about the center of the world.
Center of gravity of a trapezoidal bracket (mensola)
The bracket a b c d, whose sides a b and c d are parallel, is halved by the line f g. Diagonal a-d splits it into triangles a c d and a d b, whose centers h and L are joined; the center of gravity K is where f g cuts h L, dividing it in the ratio of the two triangles so they stand in balance.
Weights of the bracket and its triangles worked in roots
Taking the bracket to weigh 60, the triangle a b d weighs 36 and the triangle a c d weighs 24. The line h L is the root of 15 and 1/9, divided at K in the triangles' proportion, so that L K is the root of 5 and 11/25 and h K the root of 2 and 94/225.
Triangles under parallel lines keep the lines' proportion
If a b is parallel to c d, triangle n is to triangle m as line a b is to line c d. It is proved because triangle a b c is as high as triangle c d b.
Center of gravity of two equal triangles, after Archimedes
For two equal triangles a b c and d e f with centers g and h, the midpoint K of the line g h is their common center of gravity; suspended at K they weigh equally. Leonardo cites the first proposition of the first book of Archimedes On Weights.
Balancing two unequal triangles at unequal distances
Two unequal triangles a b c and d e f balance about their fulcrum K when their distances are inversely proportional to their weights: here the space g K is 3 and K h is 4, while triangle a b c is 3 and triangle d e f is 4, so the greater triangle sits at the shorter arm.
