Ecole Polytechnique, Bachelor, Year 2

PHY201 - Classical Mechanics

TD8: Lagrangian mechanics

Before moving to new concepts (e.g. rigid bodies and Hamiltonian mechanics), in these exercises
we review what you have studied over the past weeks (mainly Lagrangian mechanics).

1 Free fall with friction

When there are dissipative forces proportional to the velocity, for instance F = −k ẋ, it is possible
to include a dissipation function F = 12 k ẋ2 (such that F = −∂F/∂ ẋ) and to obtain the equation of
motion with the modified Lagrange equation
∂L ∂F d ∂L
− = . (1)
∂x ∂ ẋ dt ∂ ẋ

1. Apply this method to obtain the equation of motion for a particle of mass m falling under
gravity when a frictional force F = −k ẋ is present. Verify that you obtain the same equation
as Newton’s second law.

2. Integrate the equation to obtain the velocity as a function of time, and show that the maximum
velocity for a fall from rest is v = mg/k. (Note: less rigorously, if one assumes that the velocity
reaches a stationary value as t → ∞, then it is straightforward to find v = mg/k.)

2 Double Atwood machine

m1 m1

m2
m2

m3

Figure 1: Standard and double Atwood machines.

In the standard Atwood machine (two masses, one massless string and one massless, frictionless
pulley), the masses move with opposite velocity, and their acceleration is ±g(m1 − m2 )/(m1 + m2 ).

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If one chooses m1 and m2 close enough, the motion is slow, so it is easy to measure it and deduce a
quite accurate value of g.

An improved version is the double Atwood machine with three masses and two strings. Write
down the equations of motion for this system, and solve them.

3 Mass sliding down a freely moving quarter pipe

θ
r
m

x M

Figure 2: Mass sliding down a freely moving quarter pipe.

A mass m slides without friction down a quarter circular wedge of radius r and mass M that can
slide without friction on a horizontal ground.

1. Write down the Lagrangian, the constraint equation for r, and Lagrange’s equations of motion.

2. What is the force of constraint between the wedge and the mass (written only in terms of the
generalized coordinates, without velocities)?

4 Ellipsoidal bathtub

A bathtub has the shape of a half ellipsoid centered around (x, y, z) = (0, 0, c) and of semi-axes a, b
and c, i.e. its height z is given by
r
x2 y 2 (z − c)2 x2 y 2
+ + = 1 ⇔ z = c − c 1 − − 2. (2)
a2 b2 c2 a2 b
Imagine that you drop a soap from a small height, it will then move without friction and describe
small oscillations around the equilibrium point at the bottom of the tub. Determine the angular
frequencies of these oscillations.

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5 (Optional) Two masses with string and rod

b
θ

m
M

Figure 3: Two masses with string and rod

A metal ball (mass m) is threaded on a frictionless vertical rod. A massless string (length l)
attached to the ball runs over a massless, frictionless pulley (distance b from the rod) and supports
a block of mass M . The positions of the two masses can be specified by the one angle θ.

1. Assume that the pulley and ball have negligible size, and write down the potential energy U (θ).

2. Find whether the system has an equilibrium position, and for what values of m and M equi-
librium can occur. Discuss the stability of any equilibrium positions.

6 (Optional) Mechanical analog for Snell’s law

θ2

U2
U1

θ1

Figure 4: Mechanical analog for Snell’s law.

A particle moves between two regions of space. It has a constant potential energy U1 in the first
region (y > 0) and a constant potential energy U2 in the second region (y < 0). Using Lagrangian
mechanics, and denoting T the kinetic energy, show that
r
sin(θ1 ) U1 − U2
= 1+ . (3)
sin(θ2 ) T1

Hint: you can use either Hamilton’s principle or Lagrange’s equations.