No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or any means, electronic, mechanical,

photocopying, or otherwise without the prior permission of the author.

GATE SOLVED PAPER

Mathematics
Mechanics

Copyright © By NODIA & COMPANY

Information contained in this book has been obtained by authors, from sources believes to be reliable. However,
neither Nodia nor its authors guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information herein, and Nodia nor its
authors shall be responsible for any error, omissions, or damages arising out of use of this information. This book
is published with the understanding that Nodia and its authors are supplying information but are not attempting
to render engineering or other professional services.

NODIA AND COMPANY

B-8, Dhanshree Tower Ist, Central Spine, Vidyadhar Nagar, Jaipur 302039
Ph : +91 - 141 - 2101150
www.nodia.co.in
email : enquiry@nodia.co.in
 GATE SOLVED PAPER - MA
MECHANICS

YEAR 2005 ONE MARK

Q. 1 A bead slides on a smooth rod which is rotating about one end in a vertical plane
with uniform angular velocity ω . If g denotes the acceleration due to gravity,
then the Lagrange equation of motion is
(A) rp = rω2 − g sin ωt (B) rp = rω2 − g cos ωt
(C) rp =− g sin ωt (D) rp =− g cos ωt

Y
The Lagrangian L of a dynamical system with two degrees of freedom is given by

N
Q. 2

L = α + βqo1 + γqo2 where α , β and γ are functions of the generalized coordinates

PA
q1 , q2 only. If p1 , p2 denote the generalized momenta, then Hamiltonian H
(A) Depends on p1 , p2 but not on q1 , q2 (B) Depends on q1 , q2 but not on p1 , p2

M
(C) Depends on p1 , q1 but not on p2 , q2 (D) Is dependent of p1 , p2 , q1 , q2

Q. 3

O
In the motion of a two particle system, if two particles are connected by a rigid

C
weightless rod of constant length, then the number of degrees of freedom of the
system is

&
(A) 2 (B) 3

IA
(C) 5 (D) 6

Consider a planet of mass m orbiting around the sun under the inverse square law

D
Q. 4
μm
of attraction 2 , μ > 0 . If the position of the planet at time t is given by the

O
r
polar co-ordinates ^r, θh then the Lagrangian L of the system is given by

N
(A) 1 m ^ro2 + r2 θo2h −
μm
(B) 1 m ^ro2 + r2 θo2h +
μm

©
2 r 2 r
μ μ
(C) 1 m ^ro2 + θo2h + (D) 1 m ^ro2 + θo2h −
m m
2 r 2 r

YEAR 2005 TWO MARKS

Q. 5 Let the derivative of f ^ t h with respect of time t be denoted by f . If a Cartesian

frame Oxy is in motion relative to a fixed cartesian frame OXY specified by
X = x cos θ + y sin θ
Y =− x sin θ + y cos θ
then, the magnitude of the velocity v of a moving particle with respect to the
OXY frame expressed in terms of the moving frame is given by
(A) v2 = x2 + yo2
(B) v2 = xo2 + yo2 + ^x2 + y2h θo2 + 2θo^xo2 y − yx
o h
(C) v2 = xo2 + yo2 + θo2
(D) v2 = xo2 + yo2 + ^x2 + y2h θo2
GATE SOLVED PAPER - MA MECHANICS

Q. 6 One end of an inextensible string of length a is connected to a mass M1 lying on

a horizontal table. The string passes through a small hole on the table and carries
at the other end another mass M2 . If ^r, θh denotes the polar co-ordinates of the
mass M1 with respect to the hole as the origin in the plane of the table and g
denotes the acceleration due to gravity, then the Lagrangian L of the system is
given by
(A) L = 1 ^M1 + M2h ro2 + 1 M1 r2 θo2 − M2 go^r − a h
2 2
(B) L = 1 M1 ro2 + 1 ^M1 + M2h r2 θo2 − M2 g ^r − a h
2 2
(C) L = 1 M1 ro2 + 1 ^M1 + M2h r2 θo2 − M1 g ^r − a h
2 2
(D) L = 1 ^M1 + M2h ro2 + 1 M1 r2 θo2 − M1 g ^r − a h
Y
N
2 2

YEAR 2004
PA ONE MARK

Q. 7

M
A circular disc of radius ‘a ’ and mass m is supported on a needle at its centre.

O
The disc is set spinning with initial angular velocity ω 0 about an axis making an
angle π/6 with the normal to the disc. If ω ^ t h is the angular velocity of the disc

C
at any time t , then its component along the normal equals
(A) 3 ω 0
2
& (B) ω 0

IA
(D) c 3 ω 0 cos t
2 m
(C) ω 0 sin t

D
YEAR 2004
O TWO MARKS

Q. 8
N
A rigid body is acted on by two forces,

© F1 = ait + bjt − 3kt at the point ^1, 2, − 1h and

F2 = i + ajt + bkt at the point ^− 1, 0, 1h.
If the force system is equipollent to the force F and the couple G , which have no
components along kt, then F equals
(A) 2it + 4tj (B) 2it − 4tj
(C) 4it + 2tj (D) 4it − 2tj

Q. 9 A firctionless wire, fixed at R, rotates with constant angular velocity ω about a

vertical axis RO (O is the origin and R is above O ), making a constant angle α
with it. A particle P of unit mass is constrained to move on the wire. If the mass
of the wire is negligible, distance OR is h and RP is r ^ t h at any time t , then the
Lagrangian of the motion is
(A) 1 ro2 − g ^h − r cos αh
2
(B) 1 ^ro2 + ω2 r2h + g r cos α
2
(C) 1 ^ro2 + ω2 r2 sin2 αh − g ^h − r cos αh
2
(D) 1 ^ro2 + r2 sin2 αh − gh
2
GATE SOLVED PAPER - MA MECHANICS

Q. 10 Three particles of masses 1, 2 and 4 move under a force field such that their
position vectors at any time t are respectively given by
rv1 = 2it + 4t2 kt, rv2 = 4tit − kt, rv3 = ^cos πt h it + ^sin πt htj
For the above motion which of the following is true
(A) The total momentum is zero
(B) The total momentum has constant magnitude
(C) The force action on the system is constant
(D) The force acting on the system has constant magnitude

YEAR 2003 ONE MARK

Q. 11 If the total kinetic energy of a system of particles about the origin is euqal to its
kinetic energy about the centre of mass, then the centre of mass is

Y
(A) At rest (B) Moving along a circle

N
(C) Moving on a straight line (D) Moving along an ellipse

A
Q. 12 The number of generalized co-ordinates required to describe motion of a rigid

P
body with one of its points fixed is
(A) 9 (B) 6
(C) 3
M
(D) 1

O
YEAR 2003
C TWO MARKS

Q. 13

&
A particle of unit mass is moving under gravitational field, along the cycloid

IA
x = φ − sin φ , y = 1 + cos φ , Then the Lagrangian for the motion is
(A) φ2 ^1 + cos φh − g ^1 − cos φh

D
(B) φ2 ^1 − cos φh + g ^1 + cos φh
(C) φ2 ^1 − cos φh − g ^1 + cos φh
O
(D) 2φ2 ^1 − cos φh − g ^1 + cos φh

N
©
Q. 14 The angular momentum of the system about the origin at t = 1/2 is given by
(A) zero vector (B) 4 ^− 4tj + πkth
(C) − 4 ^− 4tj + πkth (D) − π2 tj + 8kt

Q. 15 A cube of unit mass is suspended vertically from one of its edges. If the length of
its edge is 2 , then the length of the equivalent simple pendulum is
(A) 4 (B) 2
3 3

(C) 2 2 (D) 2 2
3

YEAR 2002 ONE MARK

Q. 16 Consider the motion of a three-particle system in the 3-dimensional space. Suppose

that all pairs of particles are at invariant distance apart, so that the system
constitutes a rigid body. For such a system, the number of degrees of freedom is
(A) 6 (B) 3
(C) 1 (D) 9
GATE SOLVED PAPER - MA MECHANICS

YEAR 2002 TWO MARKS

Q. 17 Euler’s equation of motion of a rigid body about a fixed point O in the absence
of external forces are
A dω 1 − ^B − C h ω 2 ω 3 = 0 ,
dt
B dω 2 − ^C − Ah ω 3 ω 1 = 0 ,
dt
C dω 3 − ^A − B h ω 1 ω 2 = 0 ,
dt
where w1 , ω 2 , ω 3 are components of the angular velocity of the rigid body in the
direction of principal axes of inertia at O ; A, B, C are principal moments of inertia

Y
at O . Let T denote the kinetic energy during the motion and h the magnitude of
the angular momentum of the body about O . Then, during the motion
(A) T and h both vary
N
PA
(B) T varies but h remains constant
(C) T remains constant but h varies
(D) T and h both remain constant
M
O
YEAR 2001
C ONE MARK

&
Q. 18 If ^r, θ, φh is a harmonic function in a domain D , where ^r, θ, φh are spherical polar
co-ordinates, then solution is

IA
(A) 1 f ^r, θ, φh (B) 12 f b 1 , θ, φ l
r r r
(C) 12 f c 12 , θ, φ m
D (D) 1 f b 1 , θ, φ l

O
r r r r

YEAR 2001
N TWO MARKS

Q. 19

©
The differential equation governing the damped motion of a certain coil spring of
unit mass under the action of an external force is given by
d 2 x + 4 dx + 24x = 30 cos ωt
dt2 dt
where x ^ t h is the displacement from the equilibrium position at time t and ω is a
constant. The resonant frequency when the forcing function is in resonance with
the system is
(A) 2 (B) π
π 2
(C) 2π (D) 2
π

Q. 20 The number of generalized co-ordinates for a pair of scissors that a can move in
a plane is
(A) 1 (B) 2
(C) 3 (D) 4
GATE SOLVED PAPER - MA MECHANICS

YEAR 1999 TWO MARKS

Q. 21 Under the influence of a force field F , a particle of mass ‘m ’ moves along the
ellipse
r = a cos ωt i + b sin ωt j . Then r # F is
(A) 0 (B) m ω2 ^a2 cos2 ωt + b2 sin2 ωt h k
(C) m ω2 ^a2 + b2h cos ωt sin ωtk (D) m a2 ω2 k

Q. 22 A particle of mass 4 units moves along x -axis attracted towards the origin by a
force whose magnitude is 8x . If it is initially at rest at x = 10 , then the frequency
of the particle is
(A) 10 2 π (B) π
10 2
(C) π (D) 1
2π
Q. 23 The Hamiltonian of a system is given by
Y
H ^q1, q2, p1, p2h = kp 12 + k2 p 22 + 1
N
A
q1 q1

P
where q1 , q2 are the generalized co-ordinates, p1 , p2 are the generalized momenta
and k , l are constants. Then
(A) p1 = kt + l
M (B) p2 = kt + l

O
(C) p1 is independent of time (D) p2 is independent of time

C
&
YEAR 1998 TWO MARKS

Q. 24 A particle moves in the xy -plane under the influence of a central force which

IA
varies inversely to its distance from the centre of force. If T is the kinetic energy,

D
V is the potential energy, L is the lagrangian and H is hamiltonian of the system,
them
(A) L = H − V
O (B) H = T − V

N
(C) H = T + V (D) None of these

Q. 25
©
YEAR 1997

Let f ^x, y h = x − y and c be the boundary of the square

ONE MARK

S = "^x, y h : 0 # x # 1, 0 # x # 1,

Then # f2
2f
n
ds equals
c

(A) 0 (B) 1
(C) 2 (D) None of these

YEAR 1997 TWO MARKS

Q. 26 Introducing the new co-ordinate Q = q sin ωt in the Lagrangian

L = m ^qo2 sin2 ωt + qo qω sin 2ωt + q2 ω2h
2
The Hamiltonian H equals (p is conjugate momentum)
p2 p2
(A) m d 2 − Q2 ω2 n (B) m d 2 + Q2 ω2 n
2 m 2 m
GATE SOLVED PAPER - MA MECHANICS

p2 p2
(C) m c 2 − Q2 ω2 + 2ω2 Q cosec ωt m (D) m d 2 + Q2 ω2 − 2ω2 Q cosec ωt n
2 m 2 m

YEAR 1996 ONE MARK

Q. 27 The work done in moving a particle in the force field F = 5x2 it + ^xz − y htj + 3zkt
along the straight line joining ^0, 0, 0h to ^1, 1, 1h is
(A) 0 (B) 1
(C) 2 (D) 3

Y
YEAR 1995 ONE MARK

N
Q. 28 A particle is placed on the top of a sphere in a gravitational field and allowed to

PA
slide without friction. Then the motion has
(A) No constraint (B) N holonomic constraint
(C) N non-holonomic constraint (D) A rheonomic constraint

M
YEAR 1997
O THREE MARKS

Q. 29
C
For the Hamiltonian H = 1 ^q2 + p2 q 4h the equation of motion for q can be written

&
2
as f ^q, q, q h = 0 , where f ^q, qo, qph =
o p

IA
2qo2 qo2
(A) qp + −q (B) qp + − 2q

D
q q
2qo2 qo2

O
(C) qp − −q (D) qp − + 2q
q q

N
© **********
GATE SOLVED PAPER - MA MECHANICS

ANSWER KEY
MECHANICS
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
(A) (A) (D) (B) (D) (C) (A) (B) (B) (D)
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
(A) (C) (C) (D) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C)
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
(A) (B) (B) (B) (A) (A) (D) (B) (C)

Y
N
PA
M
O
C
&
IA
D
O
N
©