Classical Mechanics - Homework Assignment 6

Alejandro Gomez Espinosa

November 7, 2012

Goldstein, Ch.5, 13 Two thin rods each of mass m and length l are connected to an ideal (no friction)
hinge and a horizontal thread. The system rests on a smooth surface as shown in the figure. At time
t = 0, thread is cut. Neglecting the mass of the hinge and the thread, and considering only motion
in the xy plane

Figure 1: Sketch of Problem 13.

(a) Find the speed at which the hinge hits the floor.
Lets define the vector r as the position of the center of mass. Then, the kinetic energy for the
system is the sum of the kinetic energy of the center of mass plus the rotation over this point:
T = Tcm + Trot . Therefore, the vector r and its kinetic energy is given by:
 
l
l
m l 2 ml2 2
r(x, y) = sin b
x + cos b
y Tcm =
=
(1)
2
2
2 2
8
The kinetic energy due to the rotation is Trot =
Z

l/2

I=
l/2

I 2
2 ,

where the moment of inertia is:

l/2
m x3 
ml2
mx2
=
dx =
l
l 3 l/2
12

(2)

Hence, using (1) and (2), the kinetic energy for one side of our system is:
T =

ml2 2 ml2 2
ml2 2
+
=
8
24
6

gomez@physics.rutgers.edu

(3)

The potential energy of one side of the system is: V = mg 2l sin . For the final Lagrangian
of our system, we must multiply it by two to take into account the other side of the problem.
Thus,
ml2 2
L=T V =
mgl sin
(4)
3
Since the Lagrangian doesnt depend explicitly on time, the total energy is conserved. At the
beginning, we have only potential energy with = 30 and, at the end only kinetic energy:
ml2 2
3
2
=

mgl sin(30) =
3g
r 2l
3g
2l

=
r

v = l =

3gl
2

(b) Find the time it takes for the hinge to hit the floor.
Using the results from (a):
r
3g
d
=
dt
2l
s Z
2l /6
dt =
d
3g 0
s
2l
t =
6 3g
Goldstein, Ch.5, 23 An automobile is started from rest with one of its doors initially at right angles.
If the hinges of the door are toward the front of the car, the door will slam shut as the automobile
picks up speed. Obtain a formula for the time needed for the door to close if the acceleration f is
constant, the radius of gyration of the door about the axis of rotation is r0 , and the center of mass
is at a distance a from the hinges. Show that if f is 0.3 m/s2 and the door is a uniform rectangle
1.2 m wide, the time will be approximately 3.04 s.
Lets define as the angle between the car and the open door, then the torque is equals to
=

dL
d(I )
=
= I = mr02
dt
dt

(5)

where here, the moment of inertia is given by I = mr02 . But the torque is also define as the cross
product:
= r F = aF sin = a(mf ) sin
(6)
where the force is negative due to is against the motion of the car. Replacing (5) and (6), we found
the equation of motion of our system:
mr02 = maf sin

af
= 2 sin
r0

(7)

To solve this equation, we can use that =

d
dt

d d
d dt

d
d :

af
= 2 sin
r0
d
af
= 2 sin
d
r0
af
d = 2 sin d
r0
af
2
=
cos
2
r02
s
2af
cos
=
r02
Z /2 s
Z
r02
d =
dt
2af cos
0
s
r02
t = 2.622
2af
where the last integration was solve using Mathematica. Finally, we need a relation between the
radius of gyration r02 and the distance a to the center of mass. Lets use the moment of inertia.
From tables, we can know that the moment of inertia of a uniform rectangle about the axis that
2
bisects it, is equal to ma
3 . Thus,
mr02 = I = Icm + Irot = ma2 +

4
ma2
= ma2
3
3

r02 =

4a2
3

(8)

Plugging (12) in the previous equation of time:

s
r
4a2
2a
t = 2.622
= 2.622
6af
3f
when f = 0.3 ms2 and a = 0.6 m :
s
t = 2.622

2(0.6m)
= 3.0276s
3(0.3ms2 )

Goldstein, Ch.5, 24 A wheel rolls down a flat inclined surface that makes an angle with the horizontal.
The wheel is constrained so that its plane is always perpendicular to the inclined plane, but it may
rotate about the axis normal to the surface. Obtain the solution for two-dimensional motion of the
wheel, using Lagranges equations and the method of undetermined multipliers.
Defining our system of coordinates as shown in Figure 2, the kinetic energy has two components in
a two dimensional motion:
mx 2 mr2 2
T = Ttrans + Trot =
+
(9)
2
2
and the potential energy:
V = mgy = mgx sin
(10)
3

Figure 2: Sketch of problem 24. A wheel rolls down a flat inclined surface.
Therefore, the Lagrangian using (9) and (10) is given by:
mx 2 mr2 2
+
mgx sin
2
2
The Lagranges equations and the method of undefined multipliers use the relation:
 
d L
L
f

= q
dt q
q
q
L=

(11)

(12)

Applying (12) in the Lagrangian (11):

f
(13)
x
f
mr2 =
(14)

where the constrain equation is r = x and therefore f = r x = 0. Replacing this in (13) and
(14), we found:
m
x mg sin = x

m
x mg sin =
mr2 = r
mr =

(15)
(16)

But, from the constrain we can found: r = x

. Then, (16) is nothing but m
x = and the relations
become:
mg sin
=
2
mg sin
x
=
(17)
2
mg sin
=
(18)
2r
The general solution for the equation of motion (17) and (18) are:
x(t) =
(t) =

1 2
gt sin + At + B
4
1 2
gt sin + Ct + D
4r

where A, B, C, D are constants.

4

Goldstein, Ch.5, 26 For the axially symmetric body precessing uniformly in the absence of torques, find
analytical solutions for the Euler angles as a function of time.
From Goldstein (5.47), we have the Eulers equations for an axially symmetric body, with symmetry
axis Lz :
I1 1 = (I1 I3 )3 2
I2 2 = (I3 I1 )3 1
I3 3 = 0
1
where 1 = A cos t, 2 = A sin t and = I3II
3 . But, since this angular velocities can be
1
written using Euler angles in the body fixed frame:

1 = sin sin + cos

2 = sin cos sin
3 = cos +
we found the relations:
sin sin + cos = A cos(t + )
sin cos sin = A sin(t + )
cos + = B

(19)
(20)
(21)

where A, B are constants. Multiplying (19) by cos and (20) by sin and subtracting them:
sin sin cos + cos2 sin cos sin + sin2 = A cos(t + ) cos A sin(t + ) sin
= A cos(t + + )
The condition for uniform precession recalls = 0, therefore:
cos(t + + ) = 0

where n = 0, 1, 2, .. and 0 = +
by cos and add them:

t + + =
n
2

n
2

= 0 t

(22)

is the initial angle of . Next, multiply (19) by sin and (20)

sin sin2 + cos sin + sin cos2 sin cos = A cos(t + ) sin + A sin(t + ) cos
sin = A sin(t + + )
A
sin(t + + )
=
sin
Replacing this, and (22), in (21):
cos
sin(t + + ) = A cot
sin
n
A = (3 + ) tan t + + =
2
Plugging the definition for :


I3 I1
I3
A = 3 +
3 tan =
tan
I1
I1
3 = A

(23)


Finally, replacing (23) in the :
=

I3
I3
n
tan sin(t + + ) =
t + + =
I1 sin
I1 cos
2

(24)
(25)

that has the solution:

=

I3 t
+ 0
I1 cos