Detailed solution for 4.

7 and extra practices

The motion of the system should be divided in the two parts:
Part 1: t < T0 , when m1 is still pushed towards the wall and static.
Part 2: t > T0 , m1 is dragged away from the wall and have mutual harmonic oscillation
with m2 .
Right at t = T0 , m2 is moving to the right, the spring is at its equilibrium length l.

— Solution for Part 1 motion:

Let us take the equilibrium position of m2 as x = 0.
At t = 0, the position of m2 is x2 (0) = −l/2. In part 1 motion, m1 is static, and m2 is
having a harmonic oscillation, hence
r
l k
x2 (t) = − cos(ωt), ω= . (1)
2 m2

The velocity of m2 in the first part of motion is

r
dx2 (t) lω k
v2 (t) = = sin(ωt), ω= . (2)
dt 2 m2

The center of mass coordinate of the system is

m1 x1 (t) + m2 x2 (t)
R= , (3)
m1 + m2

hence the center of mass velocity is

dR m1 dx
dt
1
+ m2 dx
dt
2

vc = =
dt m1 + m2

m2 v2 (t) m2 lω
= = sin(ωt). (4)
m1 + m2 m1 + m2 2

In the equation above we have used the fact that in the first part of the motion (t < T0 ),
dx1
v1 (t) = dt
= 0.

— What is T0 , and what happens at t = T0 ?

From t = 0 to t = T0 , m2 started from the maximal compressed position, and moved to
the equilibrium position of the spring. Hence T0 is one quarter of the period of the harmonic
oscillation with spring constant k (a full period of the harmonic motion would be: maximal

1
compression of the spring → equilibrium position → maximal extension of the spring →
equilibrium position → back to maximal compression):
r
T 2π m2
T0 = , T = = 2π . (5)
4 ω k

Notice that m2 is not going to complete the harmonic oscillation with period T .
At t = T0 , the spring is about to be stretched; m1 is about to be dragged away from the
wall by the spring; the velocity of m2 at t = T0 is

lω lω
v2 (T0 ) = sin(ωT0 ) = . (6)
2 2

The center of mass velocity at t = T0 is

m2 m2 lω
vc (T0 ) = v2 (T0 ) = . (7)
m1 + m2 m1 + m2 2

— Solution for part 2 motion:

After T0 , there is no external force for m1 and m2 as a whole system, hence the center of
mass will travel with a constant velocity. Hence at t > T0 , vc (t) is the same as vc (T0 ):

m2 lω
vc (t) = , t > T0 . (8)
m1 + m2 2

— Practice: what is x1 (t) and x2 (t) after t > T0 ?

For t > T0 , m1 and m2 are having the “mutual” harmonic oscillation we discussed in
note08, in the center of mass reference frame. The frequency and the period for this mutual
harmonic oscillation is
s
m1 m2 2π (m1 + m2 )k
r
ω′ = , T ′ = ′ = 2π . (9)
(m1 + m2 )k ω m1 m2

The motion of m1 and m2 for t > T0 is a mutual harmonic oscillation on top of a motion
of the center of mass with a constant velocity. Or in other words, in the center of mass
reference frame, m1 and m2 are having mutual harmonic oscillation only. So the general
representation of the coordinate of m2 for t > T0 is

x2 (t) = vc t + A2 sin(ω ′ t) + B2 cos(ω ′ t) + C2 , (10)

2
the general representation of coordinate of x1 (t) is

x1 (t) = vc t + A1 sin(ω ′ t) + B1 cos(ω ′ t) + C1 . (11)

All the constants should be determined by the initial conditions at t = T0 .

At t = T0 ,

x2 (T0 ) = 0 = vc T0 + A2 sin(ω ′ T0 ) + B2 cos(ω ′ T0 ) + C2 ,

lω dx2
v2 (T0 ) = = = vc + ω ′ A2 cos(ω ′ T0 ) − ω ′ B2 sin(ω ′ T0 ),
2 dt t=T0
d2 x2
a2 (T0 ) = 0 = = −ω ′2 A2 sin(ω ′ T0 ) − ω ′2 B2 cos(ω ′ T0 ). (12)
dt2 t=T0

These three equations are sufficient to solve for three unknowns A2 , B2 , C2 .

At t = T0 ,

x1 (T0 ) = −l = vc T0 + A1 sin(ω ′ T0 ) + B1 cos(ω ′ T0 ) + C1 ,

dx1
v1 (T0 ) = 0 = = vc + ω ′ A1 cos(ω ′ T0 ) − ω ′ B1 sin(ω ′ T0 ),
dt t=T0
d2 x1
a1 (T0 ) = 0 = = −ω ′2 A1 sin(ω ′ T0 ) − ω ′2 B1 cos(ω ′ T0 ). (13)
dt2 t=T0

These three equations are sufficient to solve for three unknowns A1 , B1 , C1 .

Detailed solution for 4.4

This is a classic combination of momentum conservation and projectile motion. To solve
this problem, we need to assume that the rocket was originally undergoing a projectile
motion, until its explosion at the highest point.
We label the horizontal coordinate of the explosion as x = 0. After explosion, the smaller
piece returns to the launching site which is located at x = −L. Let us also assume that
before the explosion of the rocket, its velocity is v = vx̂, and v is horizontal. The explosion
happens in a very short time period, hence during the explosion, momentum is conserved:

M v = M 1 v 1 + M2 v 2 . (14)

Since M1 + M2 = M , and M2 = 3M1 , we know that

M 3M
M1 = , M2 = . (15)
4 4

3
 Since the smaller piece returns back to the launching site, it follows the reversed projectile
motion as the rocket. Hence v1 = −v. Then Eq.(14) leads to

1 3 5
M v = − M v + M v2 → v2 = v. (16)
4 4 3

During the same time t, if the smaller piece travels for distance L = |v|t, the larger piece,
with velocity 5v/3, travels for distance L′ = 5/3vt = 5/3L. Hence when the larger piece lands
on earth, its location is x = 5/3L, its distance from the smaller piece is L + 5/3L = 8/3L.

Solution of Physics 17-11

The bullet strikes the block in a short period of time. During this short time, we can
assume that the bullet and the block together have conserved momentum. Then we can
calculate the velocity of the block+bullet after the impact:

mv
mv = (m + M )v ′ , → v ′ = . (17)
m+M

We can view v ′ as the initial velocity of the harmonic oscillation of block+bullet after
the impact. Assuming the impact occurs at t = 0, and the original position of the block is
x = 0, then x(t) afterwards should be
r
k
x(t) = A sin(ωt) + B cos(ωt) + C, ω= . (18)
M +m

The initial conditions are

x(0) = 0 = B + C,
dx
v(0) = v ′ = = ωA,
dt t=0
2
dx
a(0) = 0 = 2 = −ω 2 B. (19)
dt t=0

These equations imply B = C = 0, A = v ′ /ω, hence

r
mv k
x(t) = sin(ωt), ω= . (20)
(M + m)ω M +m