395 Am. J. Phys. 79 4, April 2011 http://aapt.org/ajp 2011 American Association of Physics Teachers 395
Fig. 1. a Simple pendulums of point masses attached to massless rods. b
Constrained double pendulum of two masses supported by three massless
rods in plane motion.
l2 1 + 2 cos2 1 22 sin2 1
Fig. 2. Definition of a the dynamic and b the static configurations of the
2g sin 1 + g cos 1 = 0,
system.
l 2 + 1 cos1 2 21 sin1 2
d1
1g sin 2 + g cos 2 = 0,
7 1 = sin1 , 2 = ,
2 2
9
g sin 3 + g cos 3 = 0.
3 = 1, = 1, = tan 1 ,
corresponding to the static equilibrium configuration shown
Equations 3, 4, and 7 consist of five relations with five in Fig. 2b.
t, and t. They de-
unknowns: kt where k = 1 , 2 , 3,
termine the dynamics of the three links and the two Lagrange
multipliers.
IV. LINEARIZATION
396 Am. J. Phys., Vol. 79, No. 4, April 2011 Ramachandran, Krishna, and Ram 396
1 sin 1 2 sin 2 3 sin 3 = 0, 13
M + K = 0, 14
where
= 1 2 3 T , 15
11 0 0 cos 1 sin 1
0 22 0 cos 2 sin 2
K=g 0 0 33 cos 3 sin 3 ,
cos 1 cos 2 cos 3 0 0
sin 1 sin 2 sin 3 0 0
Fig. 3. Plot of 2 versus d for the double-pendulum system. Note that in a
16 certain range of d, 2 is negative, implying an unstable state.
.
2 cos2 1 0 0 0 cos 1 l
cos1 2 1 0 0 0 The corresponding eigenvector is
M=l 0 0 0 0 0 . 18 v = 11, 2 sin 1 ,1,1 + 2 sin3 1 ,
0 0 0 0 0 tan 1 2 cos 1 sin2 1T . 24
0 0 0 0 0
1/cos 1 0 0 cos 1 sin 1
2 = cos/6. 25
l
0 tan 1 0 0 1 In this case the double pendulum is reduced to the physical
K=g 0 0 1/cos 1 cos 1 sin 1 , pendulum shown in Fig. 4. The natural frequency of a physi-
cos 1 0 cos 1 0 0 cal pendulum is see Ref. 13, pp. 230231
sin 1 1 sin 1 0 0
21
2 sin 1 0 0 0
sin 1 1 0 0 0
M=l 0 0 0 0 0 . 22
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
397 Am. J. Phys., Vol. 79, No. 4, April 2011 Ramachandran, Krishna, and Ram 397
Fig. 5. Configuration of the system for d = dC.
= Mg
I
, 26
1 2 3
deg deg deg
398 Am. J. Phys., Vol. 79, No. 4, April 2011 Ramachandran, Krishna, and Ram 398
model. However, the two systems are statically equivalent,
and their dynamics for small perturbations are related to each
other by a scale factor. Suppose that the mass of the steel bar
is M = 2m and its moment of inertia about its center of grav-
ity is IG. Then, when the bar-string system is perturbed from
equilibrium, its total potential energy is
V = 2mgh, 29
It might be argued that the bar-string system used in the
experiment differs from the constrained double-pendulum l2 2
T P = m 2 + . 31
4
TB = m 2 +
IG 2
2m
. 32
399 Am. J. Phys., Vol. 79, No. 4, April 2011 Ramachandran, Krishna, and Ram 399
VIII. CONCLUDING REMARKS Am. J. Phys. 69, 755768 2001.
2
L. H. Cadwell and E. R. Boyko, Linearization of the simple pendulum,
A double-pendulum system, configured in the manner Am. J. Phys. 59, 979981 1991.
3
shown in Fig. 5, can be unstable. Small perturbations can M. Maianti, S. Pagliara, G. Galimberti, and F. Parmigiani, Mechanics of
shift the system to an asymmetric state of equilibrium. In two pendulums coupled by a stressed spring, Am. J. Phys. 77, 834838
Sec. I we asked which of the configurations ABCD or 2009.
4
M. Z. Rafat, M. S. Wheatland, and T. R. Bedding, Dynamics of a double
ABCD is stable. The analysis, which was confirmed by
pendulum with distributed mass, Am. J. Phys. 77, 216223 2009.
an experiment, indicated that the correct answer is neither. 5
H. Ziegler, Principles of Structural Stability Blaisdell, London, 1968.
They are both unstable configurations. 6
S. P. Timoshenko and J. M. Gere, Theory of Elastic Stability McGraw-
In the experiment we used a smooth board to confine the Hill, London, 1961.
equilibrium configuration of the bar-string system to a plane. 7
L. Meirovitch, Elements of Vibration Analysis McGraw-Hill, New York,
The bar tends to lower its center of gravity as much as pos- 1986.
8
sible. Without the board support the bar would rotate by A. H. Nayfeh, Introduction to Perturbation Techniques Wiley-
180, untwist the cross arrangement of the strings, and reach Interscience, New York, 1981.
9
the point of lowest center of gravity where the bar is hori- H. M. Irvine, Cable Structures MIT, Cambridge, MA, 1981.
10
I. G. Tadjbakhsh and Y.-M. Wang, Transient vibrations of a taut inclined
zontal.
cable with a riding accelerating mass, Nonlinear Dyn. 6, 143161
The phenomenon that increasing the distance between two 1994.
points beyond a certain limit in one direction causes a sud- 11
J. S. Chen, H. C. Li, and W. C. Ro, Slip-through of a heavy elastica on
den large tilt of links can be used in designing mechanical point supports, Int. J. Solids Struct. 47, 261268 2010.
switches and sensing devices. These devices could be acti- 12
H. L. Langhaar, Energy Methods in Applied Mechanics Wiley, New
vated when the strain between two points exceeds a maxi- York, 1962.
13
mum allowed level. F. W. Sears and M. W. Zemansky, College Physics, 3rd ed. Addison-
Wesley, London, 1960.
14
A. Cromer, Many oscillations of a rigid rod, Am. J. Phys. 63, 112121
1
E. I. Butikov, On the dynamic stabilization of an inverted pendulum, 1995.
Wheatstone Bridge by Leeds & Northrup. This enormous Wheatstone bridge is one of a dozen pieces of apparatus
bought by Denison University from Leeds & Northup in 1905 to replace apparatus lost in a fire. In the 1907 L&N
catalogue it is listed as a Decade Set and Wheatstone Bridge, indicating that the right-hand side can be used as a
resistance box. The resistance coils are good to 0.02%, as are the ratio coils on the left-hand side. I found that this
bridge was at the limit of my strength to lift, indicative of the amount of brass in it. It cost $275. Notes and photograph
by Thomas B. Greenslade, Jr., Kenyon College.
400 Am. J. Phys., Vol. 79, No. 4, April 2011 Ramachandran, Krishna, and Ram 400