Classical Mechanics - Homework 3

Prof. Uwe R. Fischer

from 2017-04-12 (Wed) to 2017-04-26 (Wed) 5:00 pm

Where to submit: HW box on the 1st floor in Building 56, TA : Tae Yun Kim (xbu-
reau0@snu.ac.kr)

1. (6 points) Two identical charged particles, each of mass m and charge e, are initially far
apart. One of the particles is at rest at the origin, and the other is approaching it with
velocity v along the line x = b, y = 0, where b = e2 /20 mv 2 .

a) Find the scattering angle in the CM frame, and the directions in which the two
particles emerge in the Lab.
b) Find the distance of closest approach for the particles and the velocity of each at the
moment of closest approach.

2. (5 points) Write down the equations of motion for a pair of charged particles of equal
masses m, and of charges q and q, in a uniform electric field E. Show that the field
does not affect the motion of the centre of mass. Suppose that the particles are moving
in circular orbits with angular velocity in planes parallel to the xy-plane, with E in the
z-direction. Write the equations in a frame rotating with angular velocity , and hence
find the separation of the planes.

3. (3 points) Noethers Theorem

Lets consider the Lagrangian of the harmonic oscillator.

m( 2 )
L= x 2 x2
2

We consider a special variation of x

= x + in the form of a temporal oscillation with
zero time shift ( = 0)

= sin (t)

Obtain a conserved quantity in the form of a Wronskian using the Noether Theorem.

4. (2 points) An aircraft is flying at 800 km h1 in latitude 55 N. Find the angle through

which it must tilt its wings to compensate for the horizontal component of the Coriolis
force.

1
5. (6 points) Two cylinders

A homogeneous hollow cylinder (mass M , radius R)

is in the gravitational field g = gez and a horizontal
axis through the center P rotatably mounted (central
axis of the cylinder is fixed and can be rotated). A
small, homogeneous solid cylinder (mass m, radius r)
is rolling inside of the hollow cylinder without sliding.
The two cylinder axis are parallel.

O and P are spatially fixed points and A, B, C, S are body-fixed (i.e, on the cylinders)
points so that in equilibrium: C to O, B to O, S on P O.

: Deflection of the hollow cylinder of the equilibrium position.

: Deflection of the solid cylinder from the Equilibrium.
: Angular position of the centroid of the solid cylinder.

a) Find the constraints in this two-cylinder system and define the generalized coordinates.

b) Find the Lagrangian function.

c) What are the equations of motion?

d) Determine the natural frequency of oscillation in the case of small displacements.

6. (3 points) Virial Theorem

Suppose the pairwise interaction potential V (r1 , r2 , , rN ) = 1
2 Vij where Vij =
m
aij rijm Z. Here i, j denotes the index of given particles and aij is constant. Show
,

that (a) ri i V = mV and that the Virial theorem reads (b) 2T = mV .

7. (5 points) The method of Lagrange multipliers can be extended to the calculus of

variations. To find the maxima and minima of an integral I, subject to the condition
that another integral J = 0, we have to find the stationary points of the integral I J
under variations of the function y(x) and of the parameter . Apply this method to find
the catenary, the shape in which a uniform heavy chain hangs between two fixed supports.
[The required shape is the one that minimized the total potential energy, subject to the
condition that the total length is fixed. Show that this leads to a variational problem
with

f (y, y ) = (y ) 1 + y 2 ,

and hence to the equation

(y )y = 1 + y 2 .

Solve this equation by introducing the new variable u = y and solving for u(y).]