Colleen Lanz

Due September 1, 2011

HW #2
1. (a) Find the Lagrangian and Lagranges equations of motion for the simple pendulum. Use as the
generalized coordinate.
Solution.
First,
T =
1
2
m( x
2
+ y
2
)
U = mgy
L = T U =
1
2
m( x
2
+ y
2
) + mgy
Note, to transfer this into as the generalized coordinate:
x = l sin = x =

l cos
x = l cos = x =

l sin
So
L =
1
2
m(

l)
2
+ mgl cos
And
L

=
d
dt
_
L

_
mgl sin = m

l
2

g
l
sin =

1
(b) Use x as a generalized coordinate.
Solution. Note that
l
2
= x
2
+ y
2
= y =
_
l
2
x
2
= y =
(x x)
2
l
2
x
2
Thus,
L =
1
2
m( x
2
+ y
2
) + mgy
=
1
2
m
_
x
2
+
(x x)
2
l
2
x
2
_
+ mg
_
l
2
x
2
=
1
2
m x
2
_
1 +
x
2
l
2
x
2
_
+ mg
_
l
2
x
2
Then, solving each side of Lagranges equation independently,
L
x
=
2m x
2
xl
2
(l
2
x
2
)
2
+
mgx

l
2
x
2
L
x
= m x
_
1 +
x
2
l
2
x
2
_
d
dt
L
x
= m x
_
2x xl
2
(l
2
x
2
)
2
_
+ m x
_
1 +
x
2
l
2
x
2
_
Thus, equating both sides, and multiplying by
(l
2
x
2
)
2
m
, we get
2 x
2
xl
2
+ gx(l
2
x
2
)
3
2
= 2x xl
2
+ xl
2
(l
2
x
2
)
4 x
2
xl
2
+ gx(l
2
x
2
)
3
2
l
2
(l
2
x
2
)
= x
2
2. Two points of mass m are joined by a rigid weightless rod of length l. The center of the rod is constrained
to move in a vertical circle of radius R.
(a) How many degrees of freedom?
Solution.
The rst degree of freedom is the position of the center of the rod on the circular track and the second
is the angle
m
that the rod makes with the horizon so there are two degrees of freedom in total.
3
(b) Find the Lagrangian.
Solution. First, we recognize that the position of the center of the rod (cor) is
x
cor
= Rcos
r
y
cor
= Rsin
r
Now, nd the position of the mass in relation to the center of the rod:
x
1
= x
cor
+
l
2
cos
m
= Rcos
r
+
l
2
cos
m
x
2
= x
cor

l
2
cos
m
= Rcos
r

l
2
cos
m
y
1
= y
cor
+
l
2
sin
m
= Rsin
r
+
l
2
sin
m
y
2
= y
cor

l
2
sin
m
= Rsin
r

l
2
sin
m
Hence,
L =
1
2
m( x
2
1
+ y
2
1
+ x
2
2
+ y
2
2
) mg(y
1
+ y
2
).
Note that
x
1
=

r
Rsin
r

l
2

m
sin
m
x
2
=

r
Rsin
r
+
l
2

m
sin
m
y
1
=

r
Rcos
r
+
l
2

m
cos
m
y
2
=

r
Rcos
r

l
2

m
cos
m
From this, we obtain that
x
2
1
+ y
2
1
=

2
r
R
2
+
l
2
4

2
m
+ l

m
cos(
r
+
m
)
x
2
2
+ y
2
2
=

2
r
R
2
+
l
2
4

2
m
l

m
cos(
r
+
m
)
and
U = mg(y
1
+ y
2
) = mg2Rsin
r
.
Hence,
L =
1
2
m(2

2
r
R
2
+
l
2
2

2
m
) 2mgRsin
r
= m(

2
r
R
2
+
l
2
4

2
m
2gRsin
r
)
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(c) What are the constants of motion?
Solution. First, we note that since
m
does not appear explicitly in L, it is cyclic and hence a constant
of motion. The total mechanical energy is also a constant of motion because L does not explictly depend
on t and so
dE
dt
= 0.
(d) Find the equations of motion.
Solution. For
r
, we have
L

r
=
d
dt
_
L

r
_
2gmRcos
r
= 2m

r
R
2

g
R
cos
r
=

r
(1)
and for
m
,
L

m
=
d
dt
_
L

m
_
0 =
l
2
2

m
0 =

m
.
(e) Find the solutions around the equilibrium points of the system.
Solution. At equilibrium,

r
= 0 and

m
= 0 but weve seen that

m
= 0t so this is non-exclusionary.
FOr

r
= 0, we see that (1) implies
g
R
cos
r
= 0 =
r
=

2
+ n for n Z.
So
0r
= {

2
+ n} = {

2
,
3
2
}. (All of the other n Z are physically represented by the two above.
Now, for small, (1) implies

r
=
g
R
cos(

1
)
=
g
R
cos(
0r
+ )
=
g
R
(cos(
0r
cos() sin(
0
) sin())

g
R
.
Hence, near
0r
= {

2
,
3
2
},

r
(t) = Acos
__
g
R
t
_
+ B sin
__
g
R
t
_
.
5
3. A particle moves in a central potential:
(r) = r
2
.
(a) Find the Lagrangian in terms of polar coordinates.
First, we recall that
T =
1
2
m( x
2
+ y
2
+ z
2
)
U = r
2
where
x = r sin cos
y = r sin sin
z = r cos
Then,
x = r(

sin sin +

cos cos ) + r sin cos
y = r(

sin cos +

cos sin ) + r sin sin
z = r

sin + r cos
Furthermore, after some simplication, we see
x
2
+ y
2
+ z
2
= r
2
(

2
sin
2
+

2
cos
2
) + r
2
sin
2
+ 2 sin(2)
+ r
2

t
2
sin
2
+ r
2
cos
2
2 sin(2)
= r
2
(

2
sin
2
+

2
) + r
2
Hence,
L =
1
2
m(r
2
(

2
sin
2
+

2
) + r
2
) r
2
. (2)
6
(b) What are the constants of motion?
Solution. is one constant of motion because it does not explictly occur in L. Also, because the
Lagrangian is not explicitly time-dependent and the kinetic energy is the sum of squares, the mechanical
energy is also a constant of motion. We may nd two more:
p

=
L

= mr
2

=
L

= mr
2

sin
2

(c) Assuming motion was initially in the x y plane, nd an equation of motion for r.
Solution. Motion in the x y plane means that =

2
. (2) gives us
L =
1
2
m(r
2
(

2
+

2
) + r
2
) r
2
and the equations of motion for r are given by:
L
r
=
d
dt
L
r
mr(

2
+

2
)
2r
m
= m r
r
_

2
m
_
= r
Then, using the fact that

=
p

mr
2
sin
2

,
we get that
r = r
_
_
p

mr
2
sin
2

_
2

2
m
_
. (3)
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(d) Find an equation of motion for u =
1
r
2
.
Solution. Note that if u = r
2
then r
2
=
1
u
and
r = u

1
2
r =
1
2
u

3
2
u
r =
1
2
_

3
2
u

5
2
( u)
2
+ u

3
2
u
_
=
3
4
u

5
2
_
( u)
2

2
3
u u
_
u =
du
d
d
dt
=
du
d
p

mr
2
sin
2

u =
d
dt
_
du
d
_
_
p

mr
2
sin
2

_
Then (3) implies that
r = r
_
_
p

mr
2
_
2

2
m
_
3
4
( u
2

2
3
u u) = u
2
_
_
p

mr
2
_
2

2
m
_
. .
:=M
3
4M
_
_
du
d
p

mr
2
sin
2

_
2

2
3
u
d
dt
du
d
p

mr
2
sin
2

_
= u
2
and if we can assume that the motion is in the x y plane, then = /2 and so
_
3
4M
_
du
d
p

mr
2
_
= u()
du
d
=
_
M
3
2p

mr
2
. .
:=C
u()
u() = Ae
C
8
(e) Solve for u().
Solution. Assuming =

2
, so that

= 0, we have
u = 2u

2
+
3
2
u
2
u
+ 4

m
u.
We must get rid of in (4):
L

=
d
dt
L

0 = mu
1

0 =

(t) = c
1
t + c
2
.
Hence (7) becomes
u = 2uc
2
1
+
3
2
u
2
u
+ 4

m
u
= 2u(2

m
c
2
1
) +
3
2
u
2
u
= u(t) = k
2
sec
2
(
_
2

m

2
(t + 2k
1
))
9
(f) For which and initial conditions is the motion a closed orbit?
Solution. We would like to nd the conditions under which u (i.e., r converges): So, replacing r
with u, (2) becomes
L =
1
2
m
_
1
u
(

2
sin
2
+

2
) +
u
2
4u
3
_

u
(4)
Now,
L
u
=
1
2
m(u
2
(

2
sin
2
+

2
)
3
4
u
4
u
2
) + u
2
(5)
L
u
=
1
4
mu
3
u
d
dt
L
u
=
1
4
m(u
3
u 3u
4
u
2
) (6)
Equating (5) and (6), then multiplying both sides by
4u
m
:
u
2
_
1
2
m((

2
sin
2
+

2
)
3
4
u
2
u
2
) +
_
=
1
4
mu
2
_
u
1
u 3u
2
u
2
_
2u(

2
sin
2
+

2
) +
3
2
u
2
u
+ 4

m
u = u (7)
Assuming =

2
, so that

= 0, we have
u = 2u

2
+
3
2
u
2
u
+ 4

m
u.
We must get rid of in (4):
L

=
d
dt
L

0 = mu
1

0 =

(t) = c
1
t + c
2
.
Hence (7) becomes
u = 2uc
2
1
+
3
2
u
2
u
+ 4

m
u
= 2u(2

m
c
2
1
) +
3
2
u
2
u
= u(t) = k
2
sec
2
(
_
2

m

2
(t + 2k
1
))
Finally,
0 = cos(
_
2

m

2
(t + 2k
1
))

2
+ n =
_
2

m

2
(t + 2k
1
)
=
m
2
_
_

2
+ n
2k
1
_
2
+

2
_
10
4. Consider a system consisting of two rods and one particle, all of mass m. They move in the x y plane
without external potential. Rods have length l and the springs have equilibrium length l. The pivot points
of the rods are seperated by a distance 4l.
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