Center vs. Centroid: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
Center is a general term for the middle point of an object or area, while centroid is a specific mathematical term denoting the center of mass or volume in geometry.
Key Differences
Center refers to the exact middle point of an object, space, or concept, easily identified in many contexts, whereas centroid is a precise mathematical term that represents the center of mass, area, or volume of a geometric shape.
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Dec 06, 2023
The concept of a center is used in various fields, from geography to social sciences, indicating a focal or middle point, while the centroid is specifically used in physics and engineering to describe the point where a figure or body’s mass is evenly distributed.
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Dec 06, 2023
In everyday language, the center is a versatile term that can refer to the middle of any space or group, while centroid is used in a more technical context, particularly in geometry and related fields.
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The center of a circle or a sphere, for example, is easily understood as its middle point, but the centroid of a complex shape must be calculated considering the distribution of mass or volume within the shape.
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While the center is a more general and intuitively understood concept, the centroid is a result of mathematical calculation and is significant in physical properties like balance, gravity, and stability in objects.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
The middle point of an object or area.
The mathematical center of mass or volume.
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Usage Context
Used broadly in various fields.
Specifically used in geometry and physics.
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Calculation
Not always calculated, often intuitive.
Calculated based on mass or area distribution.
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Significance
General reference to a focal point.
Indicates balance and physical properties.
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Examples
Center of a city, center of a group.
Centroid of a triangle, centroid of a complex shape.
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Center and Centroid Definitions
Center
Center refers to the middle point of a space or object.
The statue stood at the center of the square.
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Centroid
Centroid refers to the center of area in a plane figure.
In a rectangle, the centroid is at the intersection of its diagonals.
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Center
Center can mean a focal point or main area of activity.
The conference room is the center of the meeting.
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Centroid
Centroid is the balance point in a three-dimensional object.
Engineers calculate the centroid to ensure stability in design.
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Center
Center also denotes the core or most important part.
Trust is the center of a strong relationship.
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Centroid
Centroid is the point where a figure's mass is evenly distributed.
The centroid of a triangle is also its center of gravity.
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Center
A point or place that is equally distant from the sides or outer boundaries of something; the middle
The center of a stage.
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Centroid
Centroid is used in calculations involving mass and volume.
The centroid is vital in determining the rotational properties of a body.
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Center
A point equidistant from all points on the circumference of a circle or on the surface of a sphere.
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Centroid
The point in a system of masses whose coordinates on each dimension are a weighted mean of the coordinates of points on that dimension, the weights being determined by the density function of the system.
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Center
A point around which something rotates or revolves
The sun is the center of our solar system.
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Centroid
The point at which gravitational force (or other universally and uniformly acting force) may be supposed to act on a given rigid, uniformly dense body; the centre of gravity or centre of mass.
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Center
A part of an object that is surrounded by the rest; a core
Chocolates with soft centers.
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Centroid
The point of intersection of the three medians of a given triangle; the point whose (Cartesian) coordinates are the arithmetic mean of the coordinates of the three vertices.
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Center
A place where a particular activity or service is concentrated
A medical center.
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Centroid
(of a finite set of points) the point whose (Cartesian) coordinates are the arithmetic mean of the coordinates of a given finite set of points.
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Center
A point of origin, as of influence, ideas, or actions
A center of power.
A center of unrest.
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Centroid
An analogue of the centre of gravity of a nonuniform body in which local density is replaced by a specified function (which can take negative values) and the place of the body's shape is taken by the function's domain.
The centroid of an arbitrary function is given by , where the integrals are calculated over the domain of .
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Centroid
The arithmetic mean (alternatively, median) position of a cluster of points in a coordinate system based on some application-dependent measure of distance.
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Center
A person or thing that is the chief object of attention, interest, activity, or emotion.
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Centroid
Given a tree of n nodes, either (1) a unique node whose removal would split the tree into subtrees of fewer than n/2 nodes, or (2) either of a pair of adjacent nodes such that removal of the edge connecting them would split the tree into two subtrees of exactly n/2 nodes.
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Centroid
The center of mass, inertia, or gravity of a body or system of bodies.
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Center
Often Center A political group or a set of policies representing a moderate view between those of the right and the left.
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Center
(Physiology) A group of neurons in the central nervous system that control a particular function
The vasomotor center.
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Centroid
Centroid denotes a mathematical concept in geometry.
Finding the centroid is essential in structural analysis.
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Center
(Sports) A player who holds a middle position on the field, court, or forward line in some team sports, such as hockey and basketball.
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Center
(Football) An offensive lineman who snaps the ball to begin a play, usually positioned in the middle of the line.
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Center
A small conical hole made in a piece of work with a center punch so that a drill can be accurately positioned within it.
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Center
A bar with a conical point used to support work, as during turning on a lathe.
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Center
A point in space equidistant from all the points on an arch or on a portion of an arch.
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Center
To direct toward a center or central point; concentrate or focus
Tried to center the discussion on the main issues.
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Center
To be concentrated; cluster
The epidemic centered in the urban areas.
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Center
To have a central theme or concern; be focused
Her novels center on the problems of adolescence.
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Center
The point in the interior of a circle that is equidistant from all points on the circumference.
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Center
The point in the interior of a sphere that is equidistant from all points on the circumference.
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Center
(obsolete) The innermost point of the Earth, or the Earth itself, as the center or foundation of the Universe; the center or foundation of the Universe abstractly.
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Center
(geometry) The point in the interior of any figure of any number of dimensions that has as its coordinates the arithmetic mean of the coordinates of all points on the perimeter of the figure (or of all points in the interior for a center of volume).
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Center
The subgroup (respectively, subring), denoted Z(G), of those elements of a given group (respectively, ring) G that commute with every element of G.
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Center
A place, especially a building or complex, set aside for some specified function or activity.
Shopping center, convention center, civic center, garment center, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Rockefeller Center
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Center
The venue in which the head of government in a centralized state is situated.
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Center
A topic that is particularly important in a given context, the element in a subject of cognition, volition or discussion that is perceived as decisive.
The center of the controversy
The center of attention
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Center
(basketball) The player, generally the tallest, who plays closest to the basket.
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Center
(ice hockey) The forward that generally plays between the left wing and right wing and usually takes the faceoffs.
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Center
(netball) A player who can go all over the court, except the shooting circles.
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Center
(rugby) One of the backs operating in a central area of the pitch, either the inside centre or outside centre.
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Center
A certain mechanical implement functioning in the middle of a whole apparatus
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Center
(architecture) A temporary structure upon which the materials of a vault or arch are supported in position until the work becomes self-supporting.
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Center
(engineering) One of the two conical steel pins in a lathe, etc., upon which the work is held, and about which it revolves.
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Center
(engineering) A conical recess or indentation in the end of a shaft or other work, to receive the point of a center, on which the work can turn, as in a lathe.
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Center
(transitive) To cause (an object) to occupy the center of an area.
He centered the heading of the document.
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Center
(transitive) To cause (some attribute, such as a mood or voltage) to be adjusted to a value which is midway between the extremes.
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Center
(intransitive) To concentrate on (something), to pay close attention to (something).
The plot centers on the life of a working-class family.
The discussion centered around the recent issues.
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Center
(engineering) To form a recess or indentation for the reception of a center.
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Center
A point equally distant from the extremities of a line, figure, or body, or from all parts of the circumference of a circle; the middle point or place.
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Center
A principal or important point of concentration; the nucleus around which things are gathered or to which they tend; an object of attention, action, or force; as, a center of attaction.
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Center
Those members of a legislative assembly (as in France) who support the existing government. They sit in the middle of the legislative chamber, opposite the presiding officer, between the conservatives or monarchists, who sit on the right of the speaker, and the radicals or advanced republicans who occupy the seats on his left, See Right, and Left.
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Center
A temporary structure upon which the materials of a vault or arch are supported in position until the work becomes self-supporting.
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Center
One of the two conical steel pins, in a lathe, etc., upon which the work is held, and about which it revolves.
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Center
To be collected to a point; to be concentrated; to rest on, or gather about, as a center.
Where there is no visible truth wherein to center, error is as wide as men's fancies.
Our hopes must center in ourselves alone.
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Center
To collect to a point; to concentrate.
Thy joys are centered all in me alone.
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Center
An area that is approximately central within some larger region;
It is in the center of town
They ran forward into the heart of the struggle
They were in the eye of the storm
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Center
The piece of ground in the outfield directly ahead of the catcher;
He hit the ball to deep center
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Center
A building dedicated to a particular activity;
They were raising money to build a new center for research
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Center
A point equidistant from the ends of a line or the extremities of a figure
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Center
The choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience;
The gist of the prosecutor's argument
The heart and soul of the Republican Party
The nub of the story
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Center
The object upon which interest and attention focuses;
His stories made him the center of the party
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Center
A cluster of nerve cells governing a specific bodily process;
In most people the speech center is in the left hemisphere
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Center
The middle of a military or naval formation;
They had to reinforce the center
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Center
(football) the person who plays center on the line of scrimmage and snaps the ball to the quarterback;
The center fumbled the handoff
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Center
A place where some particular activity is concentrated;
They received messages from several centers
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Center
The sweet central portion of a piece of candy that is enclosed in chocolate or some other covering
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Center
Mercantile establishment consisting of a carefully landscaped complex of shops representing leading merchandisers; usually includes restaurants and a convenient parking area; a modern version of the traditional marketplace;
A good plaza should have a movie house
They spent their weekends at the local malls
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Center
The position on a hockey team of the player who participates in the face off at the beginning of the game
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Center
The position of the player on the line of scrimmage who puts the ball in play;
It is a center's responsibility to get the football to the quarterback
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Center
A position on a basketball team of the player who participates in the center jump to start the game
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Center
Center upon;
Her entire attention centered on her children
Our day revolved around our work
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Center
Direct one's attention on something;
Please focus on your studies and not on your hobbies
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Center
Center is used to describe the midpoint of a period.
Wednesday is the center of the workweek.
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Center
Center can refer to a building or complex for specific activities.
She visited the community center for classes.
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
What is a centroid?
Centroid is the center of mass, area, or volume of a geometric shape.
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Can center and centroid be the same in some cases?
Yes, in simple shapes like a circle, the center and centroid can coincide.
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Dec 06, 2023
What does center mean?
Center refers to the middle or focal point of something.
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How is the centroid determined?
The centroid is determined through mathematical calculations.
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Can the center refer to a place of activity?
Yes, center can refer to a hub or main area of activity.
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Does center have emotional connotations?
Center can have emotional connotations, like being central to someone's life.
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Is centroid always in the geometric middle?
The centroid is the balance point, which may or may not be the geometric middle.
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How is the center identified?
The center can often be identified visually or conceptually.
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Is centroid a common term outside of technical fields?
Centroid is primarily used in technical and scientific fields.
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Is the center used in everyday language?
Yes, center is a common term in everyday language.
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Is the centroid important in engineering?
Yes, the centroid is crucial in engineering for stability and design.
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Can center refer to a point in time?
Yes, center can refer to a midpoint in time.
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Is the centroid always inside the shape?
The centroid lies within the shape for most regular shapes, but not all.
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Do centroids affect balance?
Yes, the centroid affects the balance and stability of an object.
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Are centroids only in 2D shapes?
No, centroids can be in both 2D and 3D shapes.
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Can center be subjective?
Yes, the center can be subjective depending on perspective.
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Is center a technical term?
Center is not exclusively technical; it's widely used in various contexts.
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Dec 06, 2023
Is centroid used in everyday measurements?
No, centroid is not typically used in everyday measurements.
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Are centroids used in physics?
Yes, centroids are important in physics, especially in mechanics.
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Can a city have multiple centers?
Yes, a city can have multiple centers, like cultural or business centers.
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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