Mid Term Exam 2015

1. A uniform hoop of mass m, radius r rolls without slipping on a

cylinder of radius ℓ. The motion takes place on a vertical plane,
and the only external force is that of gravity. Let g be the constant
of gravitational acceleration.
(1) Use the coordinates x, θ, ϕ given in the figure to express the
kinetic energy T and the potential energy V of the hoop.
(2) For the hoop rolling down the slope without slipping, one con-
straint is
F1 = ℓθ̇ − r(ϕ̇ − θ̇) = 0.
What is the other constraint F2 ?
(3) Derive Euler-Lagrange equations from the Lagrangian L = T − V + λ1 F1 + λ2 F2 .
What kind of constraint force are λ1 , λ2 related to?
(4) Find the value of θ where the hoop takes off the slope.

2. A particle of mass m is orbiting around the source of attractive central force F = k/r2 .
(1) Write the Lagrangian for the motion in the orbital
plane using polar coordinates r, θ.
(2) Express the energy E and angular momentum ℓ
using k, m, r, θ and their time derivatives.
(3) Eliminate θ from the total energy E, and express
E using k, m, r, ṙ and the angular momentum ℓ. Find
the maximum and minimum values of r (r+ , r− in the
figure) and express them using k, m, E, ℓ .
(4) The orbit is known to form an ellipse with one of the focuses at the center of the force.
Express the area of the ellipse using k, m, E, ℓ .
(5) Find the period of the motion by dividing the area by the “area velocity”, and express
it using k, m, E, ℓ .

3. Consider an inertial frame and a moving frame sharing the origin, the latter changing its
orientation relative to the former as a function of time. If a vector has component v in
the moving frame and v′ in the inertial frame, they are related by v = Av′ , where A is a
(time-dependent) proper orthogonal matrix.
(1) Show that (−ȦA−1 ) is an antisymmetric matrix, so that one can write (−ȦA−1 )v =
ω × v for arbitrary v, or more briefly −ȦA−1 = (ω×).
 (2) Compute ω for
   
cos ψ sin ψ 0 1 0 0 cos ϕ sin ϕ 0
   
A =  − sin ψ cos ψ 0   0 cos θ sin θ   − sin ϕ cos ϕ 0  .
0 0 1 0 − sin θ cos θ 0 0 1

You can use the formula A(ω×)A−1 = ((Aω)×) for any proper orthogonal matrix A
and an axial vector ω.
Now, consider a rigid body attached to the moving frame, which is made of n particles.
The a-th particle has mass ma and is fixed at xa = (x1a , x2a , x3a ) in the moving frame.
Its velocity is ẋ′a in the inertial frame and Aẋ′a in the moving frame.
(3) Express the angular momentum (in moving frame) and the kinetic energy of the rigid
body using ma , xa and ω.
(4) Express the inertia tensor Iij of the rigid body in terms of (ma , xa ), and rewrite the
result of (3) using it.

4. Consider a model of a linear triatomic molecule shown in the figure. It con-

sists of particles 1, 2, 3, of masses m, M, m connected in this order by springs
of Hooke constant k. We study small oscillations of the particles along the
direction of the molecule. Let η1 , η2 , η3 be the coordinates parametrizing the
fluctuation of the three particles from the equilibrium point.
(1) Write down the Lagrangian in the form
1 1 1 1
L = Tij η̇ i η̇ j − Vij η i η j = η̇Tη̇ − ηVη
2 2 2 2
(2) Suppose η = ae−iωt is a solution to the equation of motion. What kind of equation
does (a, ω) have to satisfy? Derive and solve the “characteristic polynomial” equation for
ω2.
(3) Find the general solution to the equation of motion and indicate all the integration
constants.
(4) Assume m ≪ M and take the initial condition η1 > 0, η2 = η3 = η̇i = 0. Then at the
√
beginning one will see only the particle 1 oscillating with period τ ≃ 2π m/k. What
will happen afterwards? Hint: you will find another periodic behavior with the period
much longer than τ . Find this period.