Will a slight disturbance in the vertical position of the object cause the center of mass to rise? Will a slight disturbance cause the center of mass to fall? The most stable objects require a large rise of the center of mass for a small tilt, while the least stable objects have an immediate fall of the center of mass for a small tilt. Clearly a direction the center of mass descends is a direction in which the kinetic energy of falling increases...



The center of mass must be above a region of support, and the larger the area of the region of support the better. As soon as the center of mass moves outside the boundary of the region of support, the center of mass falls rather than rising, upon further tilting.



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