Use of software systems in the study of students of special subjects

The article considers the opportunity of implementation of MathCAD software package in course of computer science for students of engineering disciplines for solution to specific problems in their area of expertise. Calculation of the center of mass of the machine tool by using matrices is shown on an example. Each node of the machine approximated by simple geometrical figures, the accuracy of the calculation is dependent upon the level of detail of the machine. Recommended procedure makes possible to create a template for the calculation of the center of mass of machines with a similar layout. For the development of engineering skills it is useful to study the variation of the position of the center of mass, depending on the layout of the machine and node filling factor.