Problem of the Week

scimaths

26th Oct - 1st Nov

Consider two identical beads of mass m that can slide without friction on a horizontal hoop of radius R. They are
connected by a spring of spring constant k whose natural length is 2r0 , r0 < R. The system is shown in the figure and
let the z−coordinate of both the masses be z0 i.e. the same as measured from the centre if the hoop. The hoop rotates
about the z−axis with an angular velocity ω. Gravity is assumed to be absent here. We denote the ground frame by G
and the rotating frame of the hoop by S.

1. (i) Draw the FBD (Free Body Diagram) for any one mass in both the frames G and S.
(ii) Write which forces are conservative and which are not in both frames.
(iii) In which of these frames do the non-conservative forces don’t work?
We will use the frame found above here onwards.

Solution : The free body diagrams in the two frames are shown in the following page. Notice the two extra
(fictitious) forces that appear in the Rotating frame S. Let’s try to find which forces are conservative and
which aren’t.

In the Ground Frame G, we have three forces - the spring force and the two normal reactions. The
spring force is obviously conservative. The normal reaction N1 performs work on the bead as the ring
rotates and in a complete cycle, it will do some positive work, which makes it non-conservative. The normal
reaction N2 doesn’t do any work because of the perpendicularity of the force and any possible displacement
of the bead. Hence we can consider it to be conservative.

In the Rotating Frame S, we have five forces - a spring force, two normal reactions, a Coriolis force
and a centrifugal force. The spring force is conservative. The two normal reactions and the coriolis force
don’t do any work in this case because of the perpendicularity of the force and any possible displacement of
the bead. Hence, we can consider these three to be conservative. The centrifugal force depends only on r
and is in a way similar to the spring force. This makes it conservative.
(Any other possible ways of proving the centrifugal force to be conservative will be considered.)

1
 As can be seen, all the forces in the Rotating Frame S are conservative and in the frame G, non-conservative
forces will perform some work. So we will choose the frame S for further parts.
ω
Ground Frame G Rotating Frame S

Coriolis Force

N2 N2
2mṙω
k(r − r0 ) k(r − r0 )

Bead
mω 2 r
N1
N1
r r

Centrifugal Force

2. (i) Find the kinetic energy of the system as a function of z and ż i.e. K = f (z, ż).
(ii) Find the potential energy of the system as a function of z i.e. U = Veff (z).

Solution : Kinetic energy of the system is the sum of the kinetic energy of the two beads. In the frame S,
any possible speed of the bead is along the hoop, which can be decomposed into two parts, one along the
r direction and another along the z direction. We also have the constraint r2 + z 2 = R2 . As we want all
expressions in terms of z, we should find ṙ in terms of z and ż. Differentiating the constraint equation with
respect to time, we get
z ż z ż
2rṙ + 2z ż = 0 =⇒ ṙ = − = −√
r R − z2
2

Kinetic energy of the system is

z 2 ż 2 mR2 ż 2
 
1
K = 2 · m(ṙ2 + ż 2 ) = m ż 2 + 2 2
=⇒ K = 2 .
2 R −z R − z2

Notice that here we obtained an expression for the effective mass of the system

2mR2
meff =
R2 − z 2

Now we will try to find out the potential energy function in terms of z and ż. The spring potential energy is
given by Uspring = 12 k · [2 · (r − r0 )]2 . The factor of 2 appears because (r − r0 ) is the extension of one half of
the spring. There is a potential energy contribution Rfrom the centrifugal force also. To find this function, we
integrate the centrifugal force to get Ucentrifugal = − mω 2 rdr = − 12 mω 2 r2 . Any constants are irrelevant for
the potential energy function and hence, we have ignored the limits in the previous integral. We will need
to double this value of Ucentrifugal because we have two masses in this case. Hence we get the total potential
energy of the system to be
p
Utotal = 2k(r − r0 )2 − mω 2 r2 =⇒ Utotal = 2k( R2 − z 2 − r0 )2 − mω 2 (R2 − z 2 ).

2
3. (i) Find equilibrium positions for the system and comment on their stability.
(ii) There is an angular velocity ωc such that these equilibrium positions coincide. Find ωc .

Solution : First, we find the equilibrium positions of the system. To obtain the positions, we differentiate
the potential energy function and set it to 0. So,
s  2
dUtotal p −z 2kr0
= 0 =⇒ 4k( R2 − z 2 − r0 ) · √ + 2mω 2 z = 0 =⇒ z = 0 or z = R2 −
dz R2 − z 2 2k − mω 2

Note that the second solution is possible only when the term within the square root is positive or zero (when
2kr0
the difference is 0, this solution coincides with z = 0). For this to hold, 2k−mω 2 ∈ [−R, R]. Simplification
2 r0
of the second equation in the above statement yields 4k − 2mω = 4k R− z2 . For the second equilibrium to
exist, this equation must hold and for this, we must have 2k > mω 2 . Hence, we have  > 0. Now we can
simplify the term in the square root to get the critical value of ω, ωc above which there is only one solution.
Solving for ωc , we get r 
2k r0 
ωc = 1−
m R
Now we will investigate the stability of the equilibrium positions. For that purpose, we calculate the double
derivative of the potential energy function.

d2 Utotal 2 r0 R2
= 2mω − 4k + 4k
dz 2 (R2 − z 2 )3/2

2
For ω > ωc , we have z = 0 as the only equilibrium position. Putting z = 0, ω > ωc , we get d dz
Utotal
2 > 0 and
hence, this equilibrium is stable.
2
For ω = ωc , d dz
Utotal
2 = 0 and hence, the equilibrium is neutral.
For ω < ωc , at z = 0, the equilibrium will be unstable as can be easily seen. Putting in the value of z
2
we found above for the second equilibrium position, we will find that d dzUtotal
2 > 0, which would mean the
equilibrium in this case is stable.

Below is a summary listing the various equilibrium positions and their stability.

(a) ω > ωc → z = 0 (Stable Equilibrium).

(b) ω = ωc → z = 0 (Neutral equilibrium).

√
(c) ω < ωc → z = 0 (Unstable equilibrium), z = R2 − 2 (Stable equilibrium).
It is quite clear that the angular velocity where the equilibrium positions coincide is ωc .

4. Find the angular frequency of small oscillations Ω about the equilibrium positions of the system.

Solution : It is obvious that an angular frequency for small oscillations can exist only when the equilibrium
is stable. We know that the angular frequency of small oscillations about a stable equilibrium position is
given by s
1 d2 U
Ω= ·
meff dx2
We have two cases to deal with -
(a) ω > ωc , z = 0
At z = 0, we have meff = 2m.
Putting in the value of z and meff gives
r
d2 Utotal 2 r0 R2 2
 r0  k  r0 
= 2mω − 4k + 4k = 2mω − 4k 1 − =⇒ Ω1 = ω2 − 2 1−
dz 2 (R2 − z 2 )3/2 R m R

3
 √
(b) ω < ωc , z = R2 − 2
√ 2
We again use the previous formula while setting R2 − z 2 =  and meff = 2m R2 . So,
3
d2 Utotal r0 R2 r0 R2 mω 2
   r 2 
2 2 2 0
= 2mω −4k+4k = 2mω −4k 1 − = 2mω −4k+4k 1 −
dz 2 (R2 − z 2 )3/2 3 R 2k

√
s v !
u
2 2 R2 − z 2
 
k r0 u 2kr0 1
=⇒ Ω2 = ω2 2 − 2 − =⇒ Ω2 = t √ −
R m R2  m R − z2
2 R2

Another solution using forces is possible which doesn’t need the slightly difficult realization related to meff .

5. Plot Ω as a function of z i.e. Ω(z).

Solution : Clearly we will need to express the expression for Ω2 in terms of z while removing any terms of
ω because z and ω are linked by the equilibrium position expression and we need the graph in terms of z.
This simplification was performed in the last equation of the previous sub-part.

Note - (Quite obviously) This sub-part requires a plot of Ω against the equilibrium position z and
not an arbitrary z.

√
v !
u
u 2kr0 1 R2 − z 2
Ω2 = t √ −
m R2 − z 2 R2

Remember that this equation

p holds only between the possible limits of 0 < ω < ωc and z < R. At ω = ωc ,
Ω2 = 0. At ω = 0, z = R2 − r02 which is the upper limit of z. This is the condition for natural length
of the spring to be an equilibrium position. This gives an upper limit of Ω2 (note that Ω increases with an
increase in the magnitude of z). s 
r02

2k
Ω2,max = 1− 2
m R

Ω
v
2
u !
t 2k
u r0
1−
m R2

q
2
− R 2 − r0
q
2
R 2 − r0
z

4
 ∞
X
6. Expand Veff = ai z i around z = 0 and write the terms a0 , a1 , a2 , a3 , a4 .
i=0

Solution : We found in part 2 that

p
Utotal = 2k( R2 − z 2 − r0 )2 − mω 2 (R2 − z 2 )

Note that because Utotal is even in z, all coefficients associated with odd powers of z must be 0. So,
a1 = a3 = 0 .

a0 can be found by setting z = 0.

a0 = 2k(R − r0 )2 − mω 2 R2
z
Upon expanding the expression in powers of R, we can easily find the values of a2 and a4 given below.

kr0
a2 = m(ω 2 − ωc2 ) a4 =
2R3

7. Draw phase space diagrams qualitatively for one mass along with corresponding potential energy functions Veff (z).
Also explain the diagrams. Note that a phase space diagram is a plot of z vs ż.

Solution : In this part, we will draw the phase space diagrams along with the Veff functions for the two
equilibrium positions discussed above. The potential function can be plotted considering the minima at the
stable equilibrium positions and maxima at the unstable equilibrium positions.

Vef f

ω < ωc

ω = ωc

ω > ωc
z

(a) ω > ωc , z = 0

The equilibrium is stable. So for sufficiently small displacements (A), the phase-space diagram
will be an ellipse (as in a usual SHM case).
For arbitrary displacements (B), the phase-space diagram will be a general curve with some
contributions from the higher order terms. However, it will still closely resemble an ellipse.

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 √
(b) ω < ωc , z = R 2 − 2

A - Similar to the previous case, we will have ellipsoidal phase-space

√ diagrams when the dis-
placement is small about the two equilibrium positions at z = ± R2 − 2 .
When the displacements get larger slightly, the diagram will depart from ideal ellipsoidal nature but
would still be confined to one half of the graph, either above or below.
A slight increase to a particular energy level corresponding to the maximum in the potential function
will cause the particle to either go to the maximum and return (B) or to get into the other part of the
curve (C). This is shown in form of the 80 s in the phase-space diagrams.
D - With a further rise in the energy of the system, we will see a motion encompassing the entire
graph with oscillations from z > 0 to z < 0 and vice-versa.

Note - In both of these phase-space diagrams, the y-axis and x-axis denote z and ż respectively but haven’t
been marked for clarity.