R.R.

Mishra
Department Of Physics
BITS Pilani
Mechanics, Oscillations
and Waves (MEOW)
 Major Division

1. Mechanics (R.R. Mishra)

20 ~ 22 Lectures

2. Oscillations & Waves (D.D. Pant)

20 ~ 22 Lectures
Textbooks :

1. An Introduction to Mechanics :
Daniel Kleppner & Robert
Kolenkow

2. The Physics of Vibrations &

Waves : A. P. French
 Mechanics

Chapter No. 2 : Review of Newton’s

Equations

Chapter No. 3 : Linear Momentum

Chapter No. 4 : Work, Energy & Power

Chapter No. 6 : Angular Momentum

Chapter No. 8 : Non-inertial systems and
Fictitious Forces
A world simple enough to be
understood, would be too simple
to produce a mind that can
understand it. J.D. Barrow
 Chapter 2

• Constrained Motion

• Newton’s Equations in Polar

Coordinates
Constrained Motion
 Examples
1. Pulley-mass system

Constraint eq.
h (h  x1 )  (h  x 2 )  

x1  a1  a 2  0
x2
2. Block on a fixed wedge
y

 x

Constraint equation :
x y h
  1  ay   ax
 h 
Prob. 2.16

Block on accelerated wedge

Angle of wedge : 450 A

450
Acceleration of
wedge : A, to right
No friction between block and
wedge
Q : What is the acceleration of the
block w.r.t. the ground
 y
N

mg
h A

450

x
1 2 h
At
2

Constraint Equation :
1 2
x  y  h  At  ax  ay  A
2
N  N  m
  mg   mA  N  (A  g)
2  2  2
 1 1
 a x  (A  g) ; a y  (A  g)
2 2

The block will climb up the wedge iff A > g

Suppose the wedge is left to itself and
is free to move on a frictionless surface.

y
N

mg
h

450

x
X h

x  y  h  X  a x  a y  Ax
 N  N  N
  mg    (Mass of wedge : m)
2  2  2

N mg
 
2 3

g 2g g
 ax  ; ay   ; Ax  
3 3 3
Prob. 2.20
M2

M3

M1

The Pedagogic Machine

Consider the “pedagogic machine”. All

surfaces are frictionless. Find the
acceleration of block M1 when the system
is released.
 y

x1
M2

x2
M3

y0
M1 y

Constraint Equation :
(x1  x 2 )  ( y0  y)  

 a1  a 2  a 3  0
 T T
M2

T
M3

M1

T  M 2a 2

T  M 3g  M 3a 3 a1  a 2  a 3  0

T   (M1  M3 ) a1

Four unknowns, T, a1 , a 2 & a 3 , and four

equations !
All four unknowns can be solved for.

In particular,

M 2 M3
a1   g
M1M 2  M1M 3  2 M 2 M 3  M 3
2
Newton’s Equations in Polar Co-ordinates

Review of Newton’s Eq. in Cartesian

Co-ordinates
The Cartesian System

 
ˆj F  Fx î  Fy ĵ
F

î v  v x î  v y ĵ

ˆj

î
Equations of Motion

 y
r (t )  x(t ) î  y(t ) ĵ 
F
 
 dr r m
v( t )   x î  y ĵ
dt
x

 dv
a  x î  y ĵ
dt
 
m a  F  m(x î  y ĵ )  Fx î  Fy ĵ

 m x  Fx ; m y  Fy
Polar Co-ordinates

r, 
P
r


The Polar Grid and Unit Vectors

r̂  r̂  ˆ  ˆ  1
r̂
̂
̂ r̂  ˆ  0
r̂
Resolving Vectors in Polar Coordinates


A 
A  A r r̂  Aˆ
̂ r̂
Unit vectors (r̂, ˆ ) in the polar co-ordinates
vary from point to point, unlike unit
vectors (î, ĵ) in the Cartesian co-ordinates.

Expressing (r̂, ˆ ) in terms of (î, ĵ) .

̂
r̂ = cos θ î + sin θ ĵ y
θ
r̂
r

θˆ = - sin θ î + cos θ ĵ θ
x
 Newton’s Equations of Motion in Polar
Coordinates

r̂ = cos θ î + sin θ ĵ y
θ̂
r̂
r
θˆ = - sin θ î + cos θ ĵ θ
x
r̂   θ̂ & θ̂  -  r̂

We have,

r = r r̂
  
v  r  r r̂  r r̂

 r r̂  r  ˆ  v r  r & v  r 

Another differentiation leads to

   ˆ  ˆ  ˆ 
a  v  r r̂  r    r    r   - r  r̂
2

 (r - r  ) r̂  (r   2r  ) ˆ
  2


Comparing with a  a r r̂  a  ˆ
a r  r - r  & a   r   2 r 
  2


∴ m(r - r  )  Fr

}
2
Newton’s Eqs. in
polar coordinates
m(r   2 r  )  F
 ω
Prob. 2.29

A car moving radially v0

outward on revolving
platform.
Ang. Velocity of
platform = ω (constant)
Velocity of car w.r.t.
platform = v0
Coeff. of friction = μ
Car starts from centre of platform
Find :
a) Acceleration of car as a function of
time using polar coordinates. Show by
vector diagram

b) The time at which the car starts to

skid
c) Direction of frictional force at the
time of skidding
 y
a) We have :

r  v0 t v0


  t x

 a r  r  r 2   r2

a   r   2r   2v0

a r   r2
y

a   2v 0 

 a
a
ar
x
b) Net force on car :

F  Fr2  F2  m a 2r  a 2

 m r 24  4 2 v02

 m v024 t 2  42 v02  mv0 4  2 t 2

The car will start to skid when

 2 g 2  42 v 02
F  mg  t 
v 0 2
c) Direction of frictional force at the
time of skidding

Fr   m r2
F F  2 m v0

F
Fr Direction of
skidding
Prob. 2.33
y
ω
Rod with a mass m
on it. Rod rotates
with constant r m

angular velocity θ
ωon a horizontal x

plane and mass free

to slide.
i) Show that motion is given by
- t t
r(t )  A e  Be
Find β.
ii) Show that for a particular choice of
initial conditions, it is possible to obtain
a solution such that r continually
decreases and that for all other choice, r
will eventually increase.

a) The Polar equations y

ω
are : N

(r  r2 )  0 r m

θ
2mr  F  N
x
The radial equation is
d 2r
2
  2
r
dt

The coordinate r Should be such a

function of t that twice differentiation of r
w.r.t. t will be proportional to itself.

An intelligent guess :
r ( t )  et

Substituting this into the LHS

 2 r  2 r



t  t
 Both e &e are solutions for r

The given equation being a linear

equation, the most general solution is

r(t )  A et  B e t

where, A & B are constants to be determined

ii) Let the initial conditions be :

r(0)  r0 & r(0)  v0

The complete solution is then :

r ( t )  r0  v 0  e  r0  v 0  e  t
1 t 1
2 2

Now,

 r0  v 0  et  r0  v 0  e  t
dr 1
dt 2

 t
For dr dt to be negative, the coeff. of e
must be negative.

Additional Part

What is the normal force of the rod on

the bead?

2  v 0  t  v 0   t 
N  2mr  m  r0 
  e   r0  e 
      
Prob. 2.35
A block of mass m slides
on the inside of a ring 0 v

fixed to a frictionless
table. It is given an initial
velocity of v0. Coefficient
of friction between the ring and the block
is μ. Find the velocity and position at a
later time t.
ANS :

Fr = - N
N
μN
Fθ = - μ N

The polar equations are :

  2 
m(r  r )   mR   N
2

m(r  2r )  mR   N

Substituting N from the first equation in
the second
    2

Putting   

d
  2
dt


d 1 1
t

 2   0 dt     0    t

0
 0 R v0
  v 
1  0 t R  v 0 t

d 0

dt 1  0 t


dt
t

0 d  0 1  0 t

n 1  0 t 
1

0
Prob. 2.37

A bowl shaped racing

track, on which a
racing vehicle can
move in horizontal
circles without
friction.
Q : What should be the equation of the
vertical cross section of the track, so
that it takes the same time T to circle the
track, whatever be its elevation
 y

N
θ

y mg
θ
x
x

N cos   mg 2x
Since , v  ,
T
mv 2 dy 42 x
N sin     kx
x 2
dx gT
dy v2 2
 tan    x
dx g x  yk (Parabola)
2