Seminar 1: LAGRANGES EQUATIONS Problem 1.

Atwoods Machine Atwoods machine consists of two weights of mass m1 and m2 connecting by a string of length l that passes over a pulley of a radius a and moment of inertia I (see Figure in the Set of Problems). The string is assumed massless and inextensible, and the pulley is frictionless. The number of degrees of freedom is obviously one, while the total number of the coordinates describing the positions of the two masses are six. However there exist ve holonomic constraints: four of them prevents motion of the masses in y and z directions, whereas the fth has the form x1 + x2 + a = l, (1)

where x1 and x2 are the vertical positions of each mass relative to the center of the pulley. So the number of the generalized coordinates must be 6 5 = 1. The natural choice for this single generalized coordinate is x1 x. The Lagrangian is expressed through this coordinate as follows:
1 T =2 m1 x 2 + 1 mx 2 + 1 Ix 2 2 2 a2
2

V = m1 gx m2 g (l a x) L=
1 2

m1 + m2 +

I a2

x 2 + (m1 m2 )gx + m2 g (l a).

(2)

Lagranges equations:
d L dt x

L x

m1 + m2 +

I a2

x = (m1 m2 )g.

(3)

The latter of these equations gives the nal acceleration of the system in the form x = (m1 m2 )g . m1 + m2 + aI2 (4)

As we see, if m1 > m2 , then m1 falls with constant acceleration while m2 rises with the same acceleration. If m1 < m2 , the converse is true. At last, if m1 = m2 , each mass remains at rest (or moves at constant velocity). Of course, you are well familiar with these conclusions from elementary physics.

Problem 2. Double Atwoods Machine Let replace one of the weights in the simple Atwood machine by a second simple Atwood machine. Then we obtain the system which is known as a compound, or a double Atwood machine that is shown in Figure from the Set of Problems. For the motion of this system there are two degrees of freedom: one is the freedom of mass 1 (and the attached movable pulley) to move up and down about the xed pulley, and the second one is the freedom of mass 2 (and the attached mass 3) to move up and down about the movable pulley. In general, to describe the conguration of the system we need to have 12 coordinates (3 for each mass m1 , m2 , m3 plus 3 for a movable pulley). Thus there must be 12-2=10 constraints. 8 of those constraints limits the motion of all the components of the machine to only a single direction. To formulate the remaining two constraints we assume for simplicity that the pulleys are massless, and their radii are small compared with the lengths of the constraining strings l and l . Then the constraints can be written in a simplied form as (xp + x1 ) l = 0 and (2x1 + x2 + x3 ) (2l + l ) = 0, (5)

where xi and xp are the vertical positions of the masses and movable pulley relative to the center of the xed pulley (Note that the second constraint is coming from the formula (x2 xp )+(x3 xp ) = l and by using the rst constraint in the form xp = l x1 ). Let choose the generalized coordinates x and x , as shown in Figure. Then the kinetic and potential energies as well as the resultant Lagrangian can be written down as follows:
1 1 2 + 1 m (x +x )2 + 2 m3 (x x )2 T = 2 m1 x 2 2
1 2 3 L = 1m x 1 1 2 2 + m ( x + x ) + m (x +x )2 + (m1 m2 m3 )gx + (m2 m3 )gx + const 2 1 2 2 2 3

V = m gx m g (l x + x ) m g (l x + l x )

(6) Lagranges equations

d L dt x d L dt x

= L , x L = x

(7)

yield m1 x + m2 ( xx ) + m3 ( x+x ) = (m1 m2 m3 )g m2 (x +x ) + m3 ( x+x ) = (m2 m3 )g as x = m1 m3 4m2 m3 + m1 m2 g m1 m3 + 4m2 m3 + m1 m2 (9) (8)

The accelerations can be found from an algebraic solution of this system of equations

and 2m1 (m2 m3 ) g m1 m3 + 4m2 m3 + m1 m2 We can see if m1 = m and m2 = m3 = m than x = 0 and x = 0. 2 x = Problem 3. Particle Sliding on a Movable Inclined Plane Consider a particle of mass m which is allowed to slide free along an inclined plane of mass M . As shown in Figure from the Set of Problems, the inclined plane itself is not xed but is also free to slide along a horizontal surface. Since both objects are constrained to move along a single dimension, in this case there are two degrees of freedom. So to describe the conguration of the system we need two generalized coordinates: one to specify the position of the inclined plane relative to some reference point on the motionless horizontal surface and the other to specify the position of the mass m on the inclined plane relative, say, to the top of the plane. We denote those coordinates x and x , respectively. To calculate the total kinetic energy of the system we introduce the velocity of the plane, V = ex x, and the velocity of the mass m in the laboratory reference, v = V + v = ex x + e x , (12) (11) (10)

where ex and e are the unit vectors in the surface and in the plane, the latter being directed down the plane at an angle relative to the horizontal surface. The total kinetic energy is T = TM + Tm , where
1 TM = 2 MV V = 1 Mx 2 2 1 1 1 Tm = 2 mv v = 2 m(ex x + e x ) (ex x + e x )= 2 m(x 2 + x 2 + 2x x cos ) (14)

(13)

The expression for the potential energy depend on the choice of zero point. If we choose it to be the top of the plane, then we may write V = mgx sin . Therefore, the Lagrangian of the system is 1 1 L = Mx 2 + m(x 2 + x 2 + 2x x cos ) + mgx sin , 2 2 (16) (15)

and the equations of motion are

d L dt x d L dt x

= L x L = x , =0

(17)

or

d [m(x +x cos ) + M x ] dt d (x +x cos ) = g sin . dt

(18)

We notice that the time derivative of the quantity [m(x +x cos ) + M x ] (19)

iz zero. This quantity is therefore a constant of motion. Close examination of this quantity reveals that it is the total linear momentum of the system in the x direction. From the Newtonian viewpoint, it means that there is no net force on the system in the x direction - and this result seemingly falls out of the Lagrangian formalism! Note also that this result follows from the fact that the Lagrangian is independent of the coordinate x, i.e.,
L x

= 0.

Carring out the time derivatives in (18), we obtain the equations m( x+x cos ) + M x =0 x +x cos = g sin . Finally, solving these equations for x and x , we nd the accelerations x = and g sin (22) 1 m cos2 /(m + M ) This particular example illustrates clearly the ease with which quite complicated x = problems of mechanics fall apart when attacked within the Lagrangian approach. You could certainly try to solve such the problems using the conventional Newtonian methods, but such an attempt would require a great deal more thought and physical insight than demanded if Lagranges equations are used. Problem 4. Simple Model of Coupled Harmonic Oscillators Consider two identical particles of mass m attached to the three springs of stiness k , as shown in Figure from Set of Problems. We assume that the masses are restricted to move in a straight line, so that the number of degrees of freedom is 2. The natural g sin cos (m + M )/m cos2 (21) (20)

choice for the generalized coordinates are the positions of the masses, which we denote x1 and x2 . The kinetic and potential energies in terms of these variables are T =1 m(x 2 2 1+x 2) 2 1 2 2 V = 2 k (x1 + x2 + (x2 x1 )2 ) This yields the Lagrangian 1 2 2 L = T V = m(x 2 2 1+x 2 ) k (x1 + x2 x1 x2 ) 2 and Lagranges equations mx 1 + k (2x1 x2 ) = 0 mx 2 + k (2x2 x1 ) = 0 By adding and subtracting these equations we derive the equations m( x1 + x 2 ) + k (x1 + x2 ) = 0 and m( x1 x 2 ) + 3k (x1 x2 ) = 0 (subtracting) (27) (adding) (25) (24) (23)

(26)

These are the harmonic equations with respect to x1 x2 , and hence their solutions can be written as x1 + x2 = a1 cos(1 t 1 ) and x1 x2 = a2 cos(2 t 2 ), where k , 2 = m aj and j (j = 1, 2) are the arbitrary constants. 1 = equations of motion in the following form:
x1 = x = 2
1 2 1 2

(28)

(29)

3k m

(30)

Adding and subtracting once again, we nally obtain the general solution of the

a1 cos(1 t 1 ) + a2 cos(2 t 2 ) a1 cos(1 t 1 ) a2 cos(2 t 2 )

(31)

This solution reveals the existence of the two distinct modes. The mode with the eigenfrequency 1 corresponds to the movement of the particles with the same amplitudes and the same phases. In process of such oscillations the length of the spring between the particles doesnt change. The mode with the eigenfrequency 2 corresponds to the movement of the particles with the same amplitudes but opposite phases. In this case the center of mass is motionless. The general solution is the superposition of these two modes. We will discuss this problem in the frame of theory of small oscillation during the Seminar 6 (Problem 23 from the Set of Problems).