Classical Mechanics Review

(Louisiana State University Qualifier Exam)

Jeff Kissel
October 22, 2006
A particle of mass m. at rest initially, slides without friction on a
wedge of angle and and mass M that can move without friction on
a smooth horizontal surface.

Figure 1: A mass m slides in the +

x direction down a frictionless wedge M ,
which can slide across a frictionless plane in the x
direction. Note, this picture
does not represent the actual motion; realistically X is in the
x direction as
will be shown later.
a) What is the Hamiltonian?
First we must find the Lagrangian (L = T V ), to determine whether it is
explicitly independent of time. If this is so, then the Hamiltonian is simply the
total energy (H = T + V ).
We can define a coordinate system where the origin is the top of the wedge
at some initial time as in Figure 1, such that the position vector for the top
corner of the wedge at time, t will be
~ = X x + (0) y
R

(1)

and particles position vector will be

~r
~r

=
=

~ + (x x
R
+ y y)
(X + cos ) x
+ ( sin ) y
1

(2)

Jeff Kissel October 22, 2006

Classical Mechanics

where is the distance the mass has traveled down the ramp. While the particle
is on the ramp, it is constrained to move along , or
y
x
yY
=
xX
= (y (0)) cos

tan

sin
cos
(x X) sin
f : (x X) sin

y cos = 0

(3)

which is an equation of constraint related to the normal force.

The kinetic energy of the system is that of two free particles, since there is
no friction:
1
1
(4)
T = m(x 2 + y 2 ) + M X 2
2
2
The only potential in the system is gravitational, with ~g = g y. We can ignore
the potential on the wedge because it is constant, so the systems potential is
just the gravitational potential of the particle,
Vg

m~g ~r

= mgy

(5)

The Lagrangian is then potential subtracted from the kinetic energy,

L

T V
1
1
=
m(x 2 + y 2 ) + M X 2 + mgy
2
2
1
1
1
=
mx 2 + my 2 + M X 2 + mgy
2
2
2

(6)

which does not explicitly depend on time, so the Hamiltonian is the sum of the
kinetic and potential energies,
H=

1
1
1
mx 2 + my 2 + M X 2 mgy
2
2
2

(7)

b) Derive the equation of motion from the Lagrangian.

With Lagrange multipliers, The Euler-Lagrange equation in general is


L
f
f
d L

=
+
dt qi
qi
qi
qi

(8)

yet the second term on the right-hand side is zero because Eq. 3 is not a function
of any qi . From Eq. 8, the equations of motion for each coordinate are,
d
(mx)

=
dt
2

(sin )

Jeff Kissel October 22, 2006

Classical Mechanics

m
x =
d
(my)
mg
dt
m
y mg

sin

(9)

( cos )

cos

d  
mX
=
dt
=
mX

(10)

( sin )
sin

(11)

Immediately, if we add Eq. 11 to Eq. 9, we see why Figure 1 has the direction
of motion for the wedge incorrect,

m
x + MX

x
=

M
X
m

(12)

Also, this tells us that the x

position of the systems center of mass stays stationary because the only external force on the system is gravity, which is in the
y direction. Weve assumed that the particles initial position is at the origin,
but if we also assume that the initial velocity of the center of mass is also zero
then from Eq. 12,
x
t t
x
t
t
Z x
x

=
=
=

M
x =
X
m

M
m
M

m
M

X
t t
X
t
t
Z X
X
0

or X =

m
x
M

(13)

giving us an equation relating X in terms of x. We can use the equation of

constraint (Eq. 3) to get y in terms of x,
(x X) sin
m
(x +
x) sin
M

= y cos

= x(1 +

= y cos
m
) tan
M

(14)

from which only y and x are a function of time, so

m
) tan
M
m
) tan
y = x(1 +
M
y

= x(1
+

(15)

Jeff Kissel October 22, 2006

Classical Mechanics

OK, OK, lets finally get the equations of motion. Starting with Eq. 9,
m
x = sin

m(
y g) 
Eq. 10: m
y mg = cos =
cos
m
x = m(g y) tan
(16)


m
Eq. 15: y = x
(1 +
) tan
M
m
) tan2
m
x = mg tan m
x(1 +
M
m
m
x + m
x tan2 + m
x
tan2 = mg tan2
M
m
tan2 )
x = 
mg tan
m(1 + tan2 +

M
cos2
sin2
m sin2
sin
( 2 +
+
)
x = g
2
2
cos cos M cos
cos
1
:




2  2
(
cos
+ sin ) + (m/M ) sin2 x
= g sin cos
g sin cos
x
=
1 + (m/M ) sin2
M sin cos
x
= g
(17)
M + m sin2
Since the acceleration in the x
direction is a constant in time, ax Eq. 17 has
the usual 1-D kinematic solution,
1
x0 + v0,x t + ax t2
2


set x0 0, and v0,x 0


M sin cos
1
g
t2
x(t) =
2
M + m sin2
x(t)

(18)

For the y equation of motion, we plug Eq. 17 back into Eq. 15,
y =
=
y =

m
x
(1 +
) tan
 M


 sin 
sin
M
cos

1

(M + m) 
g


cos

M
M + m sin2 
2
(M + m) sin
g
M + m sin2

(19)

which is also constant, so with the same initial conditions (y0 0, y0,y 0)
we get a similar free-fall equation,


(M + m) sin2
1
t2
(20)
y= g
2
M + m sin2
4

Jeff Kissel October 22, 2006

Classical Mechanics

Finally we get the solution for X plugging Eq. 17 into Eq. 12,
m

X
= x

M
 sin cos
M
m

g
=

M
M
+ m sin2

m sin cos

X
= g
M + m sin2


X0 0, and v0,X 0


1
m sin cos
X = g
t2
2
M + m sin2

(21)

One could also solve for the normal force via Eq. 9, but the problem does
not ask for it, so it is left as an exercise to the reader. (Ew. I feel so dirty saying
that.)
c) What are the constants of motion?
To find the constants of motion, i.e. conserved quantities, we need to express
the Lagrangian (Eq. 6), in terms of independent coordinates. We can use the
constraint equation (Eq. 3) to solve for X,
(x

x
X

L =
L =

X) sin y cos = 0
y
= 0
X
tan
y
x
tan
y
x
tan
1
1
1
mx 2 + my 2 + M X 2 + mgy
2
2
2
2

1
1
1
y
+ mgy
mx 2 + my 2 + M x
2
2
2
tan

(22)

Because this Lagrangian is explicitly independent of x, then the L

x term in
the Euler-Lagrange equation will be zero. Thus, the canonical momentum in
the x
direction is a conserved quantity.
px

L
x

px


x

y
tan
M y
= (m + M )x
tan

= mx + M

(1)
(23)

General Rule: If the Lagrangian is independent of any generalized coordinate, that coordinate is cyclic, and therefore its respective canonical momentum (pi L/ qi ) is conserved.
5

Jeff Kissel October 22, 2006

Classical Mechanics

Also, the Lagrangian does not explicitly depend on time, so as previously

stated, the total energy is conserved (which is why we could write the Hamiltonian as the sum of kinetic and potential energies).
d) Describe the motion of the system.

Figure 2: An alternate view of the particle-wedge system at times t = 1, 2, 3

and 4.
Since friction is not involved in the system, the x
coordinate of the center of
mass between the two objects will remain stationary as has been shown in part
b. The y coordinate will accelerate as though in slow free-fall (a la Eq. 20), until
the particle reaches the surface on which the wedge slides. From then on, it will
simply travel according to Eq. 18. Thus, (as in Figure 2) from a reference point
following the center of mass, the wedge and particle will fly apart from each
0), and the system approximates
other. If M m, it will not move much (X
that of a mass sliding down a fixed incline.