Assignment 2

Tyler Shendruk
October 8, 2010
1 Marion and Thornton Chapter 7
Hamiltons Principle - Lagrangian and Hamiltonian dynamics.
1.1 Problem 7.9
E
T
y
x

r
r
r
r
r
r
r
r
r
r
r
r
r
r
r
&%
'$
e
e

r
r
r
r
r
r
rj
z

Figure 1: A disk rolling down an incline plane. From the axis of the disk hangs
a simple pendulum.
Consider a disk of mass M and radius R thats rolling down a plane of angle
as shown in Fig. 1 . From the axis of this disk is a simple pendulum of length
< R with a bob of mass m. Consider the motion of the pendulum.
Well do this in z, coordinates as shown in Fig. 1 . The Cartesian coordi-
nates in therms of z and are
x
disk
= z cos
y
disk
= z sin
x
disk
= z cos
y
disk
= z sin .
The Cartesian coordinates of the bob are just that of a simple pendulum but in
the regerence frame of the disk i.e.
x
bob
= x
disk
+ sin = z cos + sin
y
bob
= y
disk
cos = z sin cos
x
bob
= z cos +

cos
y
bob
= z sin +

sin
1
Also notice that the rotation angle of the disk is simply proportional to the
distance travelled i.e.
=
z
R
If we take the moment of inertia about the centre of the disk to be
I =
MR
2
2
then the energy and Lagrangian are then given to be
U = U
disk
+ U
bob
= Mgy
disk
+ mgy
bob
= gz (M + m) sin mg cos (1a)
T = T
bob
+ T
kin,disk
+ T
rot,disk
=
m
2
_
x
2
bob
+ y
2
bob

+
M
2
_
x
2
disk
+ y
2
disk
_
+
1
2
I

2
=
m
2
_
_
z cos +

cos
_
2
+
_
z sin +

sin
_
2
_
+
M
2
_
z
2
cos
2
+ z
2
sin
2

_
+
1
2
MR
2
2
_
z
R
_
2
=
z
2
2
(M + m) +
m
2

2

2
+ m z

(cos cos sin sin ) +
M z
2
4
=
z
2
2
_
3
2
M + m
_
+
m
2

2

2
+ m z

cos ( + ) (1b)
L = T U
=
z
2
2
_
3
2
M + m
_
+
m
2

2

2
+ m z

cos ( + )
+ gz (M + m) sin + mg cos (1c)
Notice, since its come up multiple times the kinetic energy of the disk and the
bob are
T
disk
= T
kin,disk
+ T
rot,disk
=
M
2
z
2
+
M
4
z
2
=
3
4
M z
2
T
bob
=
m
2
_
x
2
bob
+ y
2
bob

=
m
2
_
z
2
+
2

2
+ 2 z

(cos cos sin sin )
_
=
m
2
_
z
2
+
2

2
+ 2 z

cos ( + )
_
Lagrange Equation for z
0 =
L
z

d
dt
L
z
= Mg sin + mg sin
d
dt
_
z
_
3
2
M + m
_
+ m

cos ( + )
_
= (M + m) g sin
_
z
_
3
2
M + m
_
+ m

cos ( + ) m

2
sin ( + )
_
2
z
_
3
2
M + m
_
+ m

cos ( + ) m

2
sin ( + ) (M + m) g sin = 0
(2)
Lagrange Equation for
0 =
L

d
dt
L

= m z

sin ( + ) mg sin
d
dt
_
m
2

+ m z cos ( + )
_
= m z

sin ( + ) mg sin
_
m
2

+ m z cos ( + ) m z

sin ( + )
_

+ z cos ( + ) + g sin = 0 (3)

1.2 Problem 7.34
%
u
E
T
y
x
q E
R
E
x
M
E
x
m
T
y
m
(a) Cartesian Coordinates
%
u
E
T
y
x
q E
R
E
X

s r

(b) Unconstrained Coordinates
Figure 2: A particle sliding down a smooth circular wedge.
Consider a particle of mass m sliding down a smooth circular wedge of mass
M. The particle (denoted by subscript m) slides - not rolls. The wedge (denoted
by subscript M) slides on a smooth horizontal surface.
Of course, you can always chose whatever coordinates you want but some
are more judicious than others. We will use X, r, from Fig. 2b . We can related
these unconstrained coordinates to the (perhaps more intuitive) cartesian co-
ordinates of Fig. 2a .
Wedge:
x
M
= X
y
M
= 0
Particle:
x
m
= X + r cos
y
m
= r sin
3
x
m
=

X + r cos r

sin
y
m
= r sin r

cos
Now this is really great because we can set up the energy in cartesian and then
talk about the unconstrained coordinates after their set up i.e.
U = mgy
m
= mgr sin (4a)
T =
1
2
M x
2
M
. .
wedge
+
1
2
m
_
x
2
m
+ y
2
m

. .
particle
=
1
2
M

X
2
+
1
2
m
_

X
2
+ 2

X r cos 2

Xr

sin + r
2
cos
2
2r r

cos sin
+r
2

2
sin
2
+ r
2
sin
2
+ 2 rr

sin cos + r
2

2
cos
2

_
=
1
2
(M + m)

X
2
+
1
2
m
_
r
2
_
cos
2
+ sin
2

_
+r
2

2
_
cos
2
+ sin
2

_
+ 2

X r cos 2

X

r sin
_
=
1
2
(M + m)

X
2
+
1
2
m
_
r
2
+ r
2

2
+ 2

X r cos 2

X

r sin
_
(4b)
L = T U
=
1
2
(M + m)

X
2
+
1
2
m
_
r
2
+ r
2

2
+ 2

X r cos 2

X

r sin
_
+ mgr sin (4c)
Now we can get the Lagrange equations for each of the two or three variables.
When we recognize that r = R right o the bat then there is no need for a
Lagrange multiplier and so we can completely solve the problem by the two
Lagrange equations for and X.
However, if we leave r as a variable and consider a third Lagrange equation
then we require a that connects them. By doing this we will learn about the
physical process that ensures r = R.
Since r = R is what we wish to ensure by including , the function f is
f(X, , r) = r R = 0 . (5)
Notice,
f
X
= 0,
f

= 0,
f
r
= 1
Lagrange Equation for X
L
X

d
dt
L

X
+
f
X
= 0
L
X

d
dt
L

X
= 0 (6a)
4
Lagrange Equation for
L

d
dt
L

+
f

= 0
L
X

d
dt
L

X
= 0 (6b)
Lagrange Equation for r
L
r

d
dt
L
r
+
f
r
= 0
L
r

d
dt
L
r
+ = 0 (6c)
We see that the equations for X and are no dierent than if we hadnt used
the multiplier but we have the extra equation for r which will give us the force
of constraint that ensures r = R i.e. the force of the wedge and the particle on
each other.
So now lets nd the equations of motion from Eq. (6a) and Eq. (6b) (later
well nd the force of constraint from Eq. (6c) ).
Lagrange Equation for X
0 =
L
X

d
dt
L

X
= 0
d
dt
_
(M + m)

X +
1
2
m
_
0 + 0 + 2 r cos 2

r sin
_
+ 0
_
= (M + m)

X + m
_
r cos r

sin

r sin

r sin r

2
cos
_
= (M + m)

X + m
_
r cos 2 r

sin r
_

sin +

2
cos
__
.
Applying the constraint r = R gives r = 0 = r so that we can see
0 = (M + m)

X mR
_

sin +

2
cos
_

X =
m
M + m
R
_

sin +

2
cos
_
(7)
Lagrange Equation for
0 =
L

d
dt
L

= 0 +
1
2
m
_
0 + 0 2

X r sin 2

X

r cos
_
+ mgr cos

d
dt
_
0 +
1
2
m
_
0 + 2r
2

+ 0 2

Xr sin
_
+ 0
_
=

X r sin

X

r cos + gr cos
d
dt
_
r
2



Xr sin
_
=

X r sin

X

r cos + gr cos
2r r

r
2

+

Xr sin +

X r sin

Xr

cos
= r
_

X sin 2r

+

X sin
_
+ r
_
g cos r

+

X sin
_
.
5
Again r is constant so this reduces to
0 = 0 + R
_
g cos R

+

X sin
_
R

=

X sin + g cos

X sin + g cos
R
(8)
i.e. X and are given by two second order coupled ODEs.
Since we kept r as a variable in Eq. (4c) we are already in the perfect
position to nd the Lagrange multiplier from Eq. (6c) .
0 =
L
r

d
dt
L
r
+
= 0 +
1
2
m
_
0 + 2r

2
+ 0 2

X

sin
_
+ mg sin

d
dt
_
0 +
1
2
m
_
2 r + 0 + 2

X cos 0
_
+ 0
_
+
= r

X

sin + g sin
_
r +

X cos

X

sin
_
+

m

m
= r

2
g sin + r +

X cos
Now using that r = R and r = 0 = r we can say
= m
_
r

2
+ g sin

X cos
_
(9)
= F
r
where we have explicitly put a minus sign in to remind us that this constraining
force, normal to the circular surface is centripetal and has a direction inward.
We can use our solutions for

and

X to get F
r
in terms of and

only by
solving Eq. (7) and Eq. (8) for

X.

X =
m
M + m
R
_

sin +

2
cos
_
=
m
M + m
_

X sin
2
+ g cos sin + R

2
cos
_

X
m
M + m

X sin
2
=
m
M + m
_
g cos sin + R

2
cos
_

X
_
1
m
M + m
_
1 cos
2

_
_
=
m
M + m
_
g cos sin + R

2
cos
_

X
_
M
M + m
+
m
M + m
cos
2

_
=
m
M + m
_
g cos sin + R

2
cos
_

X
_
M + mcos
2

_
= m
_
g cos sin + R

2
cos
_

X = m
g cos sin + R

2
cos
M + mcos
2

(10)
6
With

X(,

) we can give F
r
to be
F
r
= m
_
R

2
+ g sin

X cos
_
= m
_
R

2
+ g sin m
g sin cos
2
+ R

2
cos
2

M + mcos
2

_
= m
_
MR

2
+ Mg sin + Rm

2
cos
2
+ gmsin cos
2

M + mcos
2

m
g sin cos
2
+ R

2
cos
2

M + mcos
2

_
=
m
M mcos
2

_
MR

2
+ Mg sin
_
F
r
=
mM
_
R

2
+ g sin
_
M mcos
2

(11)
7