Lecture Notes compiled by Dr. Abhijit Kar Gupta, Deptt. Physics, Panskura B. College, kg.abhi@gmail.

com

Central Force Motion

Central force,

The force is always directed towards a particular point. For two-body motion, the direction is along the line joining two bodies. Angular motion (or rotation) in a plane can be described by plane polar coordinates, Velocity, ( ) ( ) .

Acceleration,

Equation of motion, [( ) ( )]

So, we get the following scalar equations, ( ( From (2) ( ( ) ) ) ) (1) (2)

What is this?

From Keplers 2nd law:

Areal velocity is constant.

What is areal velocity? Area swept in unit time by an imaginary line that is between a rotating body and the fixed point. (We can consider the imaginary line between Earth and Sun.)

Lecture Notes compiled by Dr. Abhijit Kar Gupta, Deptt. Physics, Panskura B. College, kg.abhi@gmail.com

Also we consider, Linear momentum = Moment of momentum ( )

[ is a vector perpendicular to the plane of and ] Thus we see, magnitude of angular momentum, | | Next, for our further calculations we consider: Let us put Now, from equation (1) [ ] ( ) ( )

(3)

This is central force equation of motion! For a planet of mass Force Thus for ordinary orbits: orbiting in a closed orbit around the Sun of mass ,

Lecture Notes compiled by Dr. Abhijit Kar Gupta, Deptt. Physics, Panskura B. College, kg.abhi@gmail.com

[ General solution:

It is always possible to choose the coordinate axes in such a way that the phase, In that case,

Of the form:

The above is a general form of conic section.

< < >

Circle Ellipse Parabola Hyperbola

is eccentricity.

We shall now determine the constant, Potential energy: Kinetic energy: ( [ ( ) ( )

in terms of energy. )

]
3

Lecture Notes compiled by Dr. Abhijit Kar Gupta, Deptt. Physics, Panskura B. College, kg.abhi@gmail.com

[( ) Since, [ Total energy, * + ( , ) ]

The eccentricity,

For

< ,

< < .

Therefore, we see that the conic section is an ellipse if Also, we find for to be real,
> > >

This is the condition!

Think of the reverse problem:

Imagine the path of a planet around the Sun is an ellipse. Find the law of force.

For the elliptical orbit,

+
4

Lecture Notes compiled by Dr. Abhijit Kar Gupta, Deptt. Physics, Panskura B. College, kg.abhi@gmail.com

The force is inverse square law (as it is already known).

What will be the kind of force if the body moves in a circular orbit?

Thus from the central force equation of motion (3),

( ) Note: Since A few Problems: #1 A particle of mass ,

Centripetal force!
has to be constant

constant force

force Ans.

moves in a circular orbit of radius under the influence of a central . The centre of the force lies at a point on the circle. What is the force law?

* From equation (3),

The force,
5

Lecture Notes compiled by Dr. Abhijit Kar Gupta, Deptt. Physics, Panskura B. College, kg.abhi@gmail.com

#2. Find the central force where the orbit of particle is given by

Ans.

= =

The force,

Note: This is not a conic section; the expression is of a CARDOID!

Now we check:
If force is constant, the orbit is circular! If force is inverse square law: ( ) , the orbit is elliptical! And we come across other kinds of forces,

and as well for different kinds of orbits (not conic

section). We have not come across a force law of the form

. But why?

Now the question: Can we say what will be the nature of orbits for any kind of force in general? In general , if

, for

4 what will be the kinds of orbits?

One way for the answer is to play around with the central force equation of motion (3), put the expression of force into it and try to see what the differential equation yields, analytically or numerically.