Depending on the forces acting on a body, this disturbance can lead to different behaviors.
The above figure illustrates the different balances a supporting body can take. These equilibria are defined as follows:
An equilibrium position of a system, submitted only to conservative forces, is:
If the body's center of gravity is in the lowest position, compared to all the others body's parts, the balance will be stable.
Let's study the condition for the equilibrium of a body on a surface, where there is an application of an external force. Note that, for any object, the weight vector points to the object support base. The above figure shows a body which tends to be overturned by a force \(\vec{F}_{ext} \). In this case, while the weight vector is to the left of the normal line to the point of support, depending on the magnitude of the external force, the body will not tumble, because in this situation the weight can generate a counter torque, to compensate the torque of the \(\vec{F}_{ext}\). If the weight is on the right of the normal line, the weight will also make the body rotate and fall.