R.R.

Mishra
Department Of Physics

BITS Pilani

Mechanics, Oscillations
and Waves (MEOW)

Major Division
1. Mechanics (R.R. Mishra)
20 ~ 22 Lectures

2. Oscillations & Waves (D.D. Pant)

20 ~ 22 Lectures

Textbooks :

1. An Introduction to Mechanics :
Daniel Kleppner & Robert
Kolenkow
2. The Physics of Vibrations &
Waves : A. P. French

Mechanics
Chapter No. 2 : Review of Newtons
Equations
Chapter No. 3 : Linear Momentum
Chapter No. 4 : Work, Energy & Power
Chapter No. 6 : Angular Momentum
Chapter No. 8 : Non-inertial systems and
Fictitious Forces

A world simple enough to be

understood, would be too simple
to produce a mind that can
understand it.
J.D. Barrow

Chapter 2
Constrained Motion
Newtons Equations in Polar
Coordinates

Constrained Motion

Examples
1. Pulley-mass system

Constraint eq.

(h x1 ) (h x 2 )

x1

a1 a 2 0
x2

2. Block on a fixed wedge

y

Constraint equation :
h
x y
1 ay ax
h

Prob. 2.16
Block on accelerated wedge
Angle of wedge : 450
Acceleration of
wedge : A, to right
No friction between block and
wedge

Q : What is the acceleration of the

block w.r.t. the ground

A
450

mg

450

x
1 2
At
2

Constraint Equation :
1 2
x y h At
2

ax ay A

m
N
N

mg mA N
(A g)
2 2

1
1
a x (A g) ; a y (A g)
2
2

The block will climb up the wedge iff A > g

Suppose the wedge is left to itself and

is free to move on a frictionless surface.
y

mg

450

x y h X a x a y Ax

N
N
N

mg
2 2
2

(Mass of wedge : m)

N
mg

3
2

g
2g
ax ; ay
;
3
3

g
Ax
3

Prob. 2.20
M2

M3

M1

The Pedagogic Machine

Consider the pedagogic machine. All

surfaces are frictionless. Find the
acceleration of block M1 when the system
is released.

x1
M2

x2
M3

M1

y0

Constraint Equation :
(x1 x 2 ) ( y0 y)

a1 a 2 a 3 0

M2

T
M3

M1

T M 2a 2
T M 3g M 3a 3

a1 a 2 a 3 0

T (M1 M3 ) a1

Four unknowns, T, a1 , a 2 & a 3 , and four

equations !

All four unknowns can be solved for.

In particular,
M 2 M3
a1
g
2
M1M 2 M1M 3 2 M 2 M 3 M 3

Newtons Equations in Polar Co-ordinates

Review of Newtons Eq. in Cartesian
Co-ordinates

The Cartesian System

F Fx i Fy j

v v x i v y j

Equations of Motion

r (t ) x(t ) i y(t ) j

dr
v( t )
x i y j
dt

dv
a
x i y j
dt

m a F m(x i y j ) Fx i Fy j
m x Fx ; m y Fy

F
m

Polar Co-ordinates

r,

The Polar Grid and Unit Vectors

r r 1
r

r 0

Resolving Vectors in Polar Coordinates

A A r r A

Unit vectors (r, ) in the polar co-ordinates

vary from point to point, unlike unit
vectors (i, j) in the Cartesian co-ordinates.
Expressing

(r, )

in terms of (i, j) .

r = cos i + sin j

= - sin i + cos j

Newtons Equations of Motion in Polar

Coordinates
r = cos i + sin j

= - sin i + cos j

r & - r
We have,

r = r r

v r r r r r
r r r

v r r & v r

Another differentiation leads to

a v r r r r r - r r
2

(r - r ) r (r 2r )

Comparing with a a r r a

a r r - r & a r 2 r
2

m(r - r ) Fr

m(r 2 r ) F

Newtons Eqs. in
polar coordinates

Prob. 2.29

A car moving radially

outward on revolving
platform.
Ang. Velocity of
platform = (constant)
Velocity of car w.r.t.
platform = v0

Coeff. of friction =
Car starts from centre of platform

v0

Find :
a) Acceleration of car as a function of
time using polar coordinates. Show by
vector diagram
b) The time at which the car starts to
skid
c) Direction of frictional force at the
time of skidding

a) We have :

r v0 t
t

a r r r 2 r2
a r 2r 2v0

v0

a r r2

a 2v 0

ar
x

b) Net force on car :

F Fr2 F2

m a 2r a 2

m r 24 4 2 v02
m v024 t 2 42 v02 mv0 4 2 t 2

The car will start to skid when

F mg t

2 g 2 42 v 02
v 0 2

c) Direction of frictional force at the

time of skidding
Fr m r2
F

Fr

F 2 m v0
Direction of
skidding

Prob. 2.33
y

Rod with a mass m

on it. Rod rotates
with constant
angular velocity
on a horizontal
plane and mass free
to slide.

i) Show that motion is given by

r(t ) A e
Find .

- t

Be

ii) Show that for a particular choice of

initial conditions, it is possible to obtain
a solution such that r continually
decreases and that for all other choice, r
will eventually increase.
a) The Polar equations
are :

(r r2 ) 0
2mr F N

N
m

The radial equation is

d 2r
2

r
2
dt

The coordinate r Should be such a

function of t that twice differentiation of r
w.r.t. t will be proportional to itself.
An intelligent guess :
r ( t ) et

Substituting this into the LHS

2 r 2 r

Both e

&e

are solutions for r

The given equation being a linear

equation, the most general solution is
r(t ) A et B e t

where, A & B are constants to be determined

ii) Let the initial conditions be :

r(0) r0 & r(0) v0

The complete solution is then :

1
1
t
r ( t ) r0 v 0 e r0 v 0 e t
2
2

Now,

dr 1
r0 v 0 et r0 v 0 e t
dt 2

t
e
For dr dt to be negative, the coeff. of

must be negative.
Additional Part

What is the normal force of the rod on

the bead?
v 0 t
v 0 t
2

N 2mr m r0
e r0
e

Prob. 2.35
A block of mass m slides
v
on the inside of a ring
fixed to a frictionless
table. It is given an initial
velocity of v0. Coefficient
of friction between the ring and the block
is . Find the velocity and position at a
later time t.
0

ANS :

Fr = - N

F = - N

The polar equations are :

2
2

m(r r ) mR N

m(r 2r ) mR N

Substituting N from the first equation in

the second

2
Putting
d
2
dt

1
d
1
2 0 dt 0 t
0
t

1 0 t

R v0
v
R v 0 t

0
d

dt 1 0 t

dt
0 d 0 1 0 t
t

n 1 0 t
0

Prob. 2.37
A bowl shaped racing
track, on which a
racing vehicle can
move in horizontal
circles without
friction.
Q : What should be the equation of the
vertical cross section of the track, so
that it takes the same time T to circle the
track, whatever be its elevation

y
N

N cos mg

mv 2
N sin
x
dy
v2
tan

dx g x

mg
x

2x
Since , v
,
T
dy 42 x

kx
2
dx
gT
2

x
yk
2

(Parabola)