Lagrange Analysis for Non-Relativistic Particle in the

Rotating Reference Frame

Wen-Jie Tian

College of Physics and Information Technology,

Shaanxi Normal University, P.O.Box 339, Xian, 710062, P.R.China
Abstract: To analyze the dynamics for non-relativistic particles in rotating refer-
ence frames, centrifugal inertial force and Coriolis forces should be introduced to ensure
that Newtons second law holds mathematically in formalism. Under the same set of
generalized coordinates, we study the dynamics for non-relativistic particles in conser-
vative eld via Lagrange mechanics, in both rest inertial reference (case I) and rotating
noninertial reference (case II). Its concluded that, an extra generalized potential en-
ergy (GPE) term, which is nonconservative, is required to keep the Lagrange function of
case II identical to that of case I. The generalized force corresponding to the very GPE
term agrees with the resultant of the centrifugal and Coriolis forces. Inversely, the GPE
terms generated by the two inertial forces are numerous, only one of which is eective.
Calculations go on in rectangular and spherical coordinates system respectively.
Key Words:Lagrange Function; Reference Frames; Generalized Potential Energy; In-
ertial Force.
1 Introduction
As to the dynamics for non-relativistic particles at general motion in rotating reference
frames, the original method is the introduction of centrifugal and Coriolis force and
the employment of Newtons second law. On the other hand, Lagrange mechanics,
as a generalized formulation of Newtons work, has been a powerful tool in analyzing
dynamics of all complicated kinds of processes[1][2][3][4]5. Hence this paper aims at a
Lagrange analysis of the above thesis, i.e. dynamics in rotating references. Concrete
computing goes in both rectangular and spherical coordinate systems, and for non-
relativistic particles only.

tianwj1@gmail.com; tianwenjie@stu.snnu.edu.cn
1
2 Scenario in Rectangular Coordinates
Given the inertial coordinates system R

[O;

k] at rest, here is another coordinates

system R[O;

i,

j,

k], whose origin and z-axis are coincident with those of R

, yet ro-
tates around z-axis relative to R

at a constant angular speed of . Theres a particle

with mass m located in the conservative eld in R, with potential energy V (x, y, z) (rel-
ative to R). m is at general motion in R, as well as an associated rotation speed with R.
Firstly, lets employ the inertial reference R

to study the dynamics of m, but take

coordinates {x, y, z} in R as generalized ones for Lagrange analysis. Thus, the absolute
velocity of m is:
v = x

i + y

j + z

k +

k
_
x

i + y

j + z

k
_
= ( x y)

i + ( y + x)

j + z

k
(1)
The particle is non-relativistic, so the kinetic energy is:
T =
1
2
mv v
=
1
2
m
_
( x y)
2
+ ( y + x)
2
+ z
2

=
1
2
m
_
x
2
+ y
2
+ z
2
_
+
1
2
m
2
_
x
2
+ y
2
_
+ m (x y xy)
(2)
and the Lagrange function is:
L = T V
=
1
2
m
_
x
2
+ y
2
+ z
2
_
+
1
2
m
2
_
x
2
+ y
2
_
+ m (x y xy) V (x, y, z)
(3)
Thus
L
x
= m
2
x + m y
V
x
(4a)
L
x
= m x my (4b)
L
y
= m
2
y m x
V
y
(4c)
L
y
= m y + mx (4d)
L
z
=
V
z
(4e)
L
z
= m z (4f)
According to Lagranges dynamical equation for conservative elds
d
dt
_
L
q
i
_

L
q
i
= 0 (5)
2
The concrete components will be
m x =
V
x
+ m
2
x + 2m y (6a)
m y =
V
y
+ m
2
y 2m x (6b)
m z =
V
z
(6c)
Hence Eqs6 are the absolute dynamical equations for m relative to R

.
On the other hand, if the observer locates in the rotating reference R, where the
angular velocity vanishes due to co-moving, one will nd the kinetic and potential
energy to be
T =
1
2
m
_
x
2
+ y
2
+ z
2
_
, V = V (x, y, z) (7)
respectively. Its apparent that T V from Eq7 isnt identical to Eq3. As is known,
for the same set of generalized coordinates, the Lagrange function is determined and
unique, independent from the motional states of the coordinates systems. Thus, via
comparison between Eq3 and Eq7, one could conclude the Lagrangian function for R
reference to be:
L =
1
2
m
_
x
2
+ y
2
+ z
2
_
V (x, y, z)
_

1
2
m
2
_
x
2
+ y
2
_
m (x y xy)
_
= T V U
(8)
where
U =
1
2
m
2
_
x
2
+ y
2
_
m (x y xy) (9)
is the generalized potential energy(GPE). This term is said to be generalized because U
depends on not only the generalized coordinates, but also their one-order derivatives,
i.e. the generalized velocities, while Eq5 dedicates only to systems that are workless,
holonomic and conservative. An energy term in Lagrange function such as U conjugates
with certain generalized force (GF) Q. However, in R reference it comes up with
centrifugal and Coriolis forces due to Newton mechanism at the same time. As is to
be veried below, the GF Q conjugating with U agrees with the resultant of these two
inertial forces, or in other words, the two inertial forces leads to the GPE U. The
components of Q conjugating with U above read:
Q
x
=
d
dt
_
U
x
_

U
x
= m
2
x + 2m y (10a)
Q
y
=
d
dt
_
U
y
_

U
y
= m
2
y + 2m x (10b)
3
Q
z
=
d
dt
_
U
z
_

U
z
= 0 (10c)
Or
Q =
_
m
2
x + 2m y
_

i +
_
m
2
y 2m x
_

j (11)
The resultant of the centrifugal and Coriolis forces are:
m ( r) 2m v
=
_
m
2
x

i + m
2
y

j
_

_
2m y

i + 2m x

j
_
=
_
m
2
x + 2m y
_

i +
_
m
2
y 2m x
_

j
(12)
which is identical to Q perfectly. Hence, as for the non-relativistic particle m at motion
relative to the rotating reference R, one runs into two inertial forces by Newton mech-
anism, or into GPE U. The GF Q associated with U agrees with the resultant of the two
inertial forces, and inversely, due to non-conservation, [m ( r) 2m v] =
0, the two inertial forces result in the non-conservative GPE U.
Now lets conduct the same process in spherical coordinates system.
3 Scenario in Spherical Coordinates
Relative to the reference frame R

at rest, we establish a spherical coordinates system

R
S
[O; e
r
, e

, e

] based on the Cartesian coordinates R

C
[O;

i,

j,

k] in the rotating refer-

ence R. R
S
shares the origin of R
C
, and rotates around R

s z-axis at a constant angular

speed . Here the particle m, who still shares the rotation of R
S
and locates in the
conservative eld in R
S
, has potential energy of V (r). To perform Lagrangian analysis
proceedingly, we still take R

for reference, but utilize {r, , } in R

S
as the generalized
coordinates. Then the absolute linear velocity and the absolute angular velocity for m
will be
v = r e
r
+ r

e

+ r sin e

+ r e
r
(13)
= (cos e
r
sin e

) (14)
respectively. Insert Eq14 into Eq13 to get:
v = r e
r
+ r

e

+ (r sin + r sin ) e

(15)
Hence the kinetic energy and Lagrangian function for m read:
T =
1
2
mv v
=
1
2
m
_
r
2
+ r
2

2
+ (r sin + r sin )
2
_
=
1
2
m
_
r
2
+ r
2

2
+ r
2

2
sin
2
+
2
r
2
sin
2
+ 2r
2
sin
2

_
(16)
4
L = T V
=
1
2
m
_
r
2
+ r
2

2
+ r
2

2
sin
2

_
+
1
2
m
_

2
r
2
sin
2
+ 2r
2
sin
2

_
V (r)
(17)
Hence
L
r
= mr

2
+ mr
2
sin
2
+ m
2
r sin
2
+ 2mr sin
2

V
r
(18a)
L
r
= m r (18b)
L

=
1
2
mr
2

2
sin 2 +
1
2
m
2
r
2
sin 2 + mr
2
sin 2 (18c)
L

= mr
2

(18d)
L

= 0 (18e)
L

= mr
2
sin
2
+ mr
2
sin
2
(18f)
Then the components of Lagrange equation Eq5 are
m r =
V
r
+ mr

2
+ mr
2
sin
2
+ m
2
r sin
2
+ 2mr sin
2
(19a)
mr
2

= 2mr r

+
1
2
mr
2

2
sin 2 +
1
2
m
2
r
2
sin 2 + mr
2
sin 2 (19b)
mr
2
sin
2
= 2mr r sin
2
mr
2

sin 2 2mr r sin

2
mr
2

sin 2 (19c)
Hence Eqs19 are the absolute dynamical equations for m relative to R
S
.
On the other hand, if the observer locates in the rotating coordinates R
S
, where
vanishes too, the kinetic energy and potential energy are to be
T =
1
2
m
_
r
2
+ r
2

2
+ r
2

2
sin
2

_
, V = V (r) (20)
For the generalized coordinates {r, , }, the Lagrange function is determined and
unique. To make Eq20 in agreement with Eq17, we put forward the GPE term U
U =
1
2
m
_

2
r
2
sin
2
+ 2r
2
sin
2

_
(21)
to attain
L = T V U
=
1
2
m
_
r
2
+ r
2

2
+ r
2

2
sin
2

_
V (r)
_

1
2
m
_

2
r
2
sin
2
+ 2r
2
sin
2

_
_
(22)
5
According to Eq21, its clear that U, being non-conservative, depends not only on r, but
also on the generalized coordinate and the generalized velocity

. The components of
the conjugating GF Q are
Q
r
=
d
dt
_
U
r
_

U
r
= m
2
r sin
2
+ 2mr sin
2
(23a)
Q

=
d
dt
_
U

=
1
2
m
2
r
2
sin 2 + mr
2
sin 2 (23b)
Q

=
d
dt
_
U

_

= 2mr r sin
2
mr
2

sin 2 (23c)
while the centrifugal force is
m ( r) = m
2
r sin
2
e
r
+
1
2
m
2
r sin 2 e

(24)
And the Coriolis force is
2m v = 2m(cos e
r
sin e

) ( r e
r
+ r

e

+ r sin e

)
= 2mr sin
2
e
r
+ mr sin 2 e

+ (2m r sin 2mr

cos ) e

(25)
Hence, the components of the resultant of the two inertial forces are:
F
r
= m
2
r sin
2
+ 2mr sin
2
(26a)
F

=
1
2
m
2
r sin 2 + mr sin 2 (26b)
F

= 2m r sin 2mr

cos (26c)
In spherical coordinates, the transformational relations between the generalized force
and the ordinary force are:
Q
r
= F
r
, Q

= rF

, Q

= r sin F

(27)
Comparing Eq23, Eq26 and Eq27, one immediately concludes that the GF Q is equal
to the resultant of the two inertial forces .
4 Discussions and Extensions
With rectangular and spherical coordinates respectively, we have performed Lagrange
analysis on the dynamical process of the non-relativistic particles at general motion
in uniformly rotating references. Based on energy terms, the complex analyzing of
ordinary forces is avoided. As is commented above, the problem of inertial forces
in Newtonian mechanism becomes the problem of non-conservative GPE in Lagrange
mechanism, and the conjugating GF identies with the resultant of the inertial forces.
6
However, further algebra as below shows that, non-conservative elds resulting from
centrifugal and Coriolis forces are countless, and U in Eq9 is simply a particular case,
yet the only eective one. Eq9 is made up of two dierent components, each of which
is self-symmetric:
U = U
1
+ U
2
, U
1
=
1
2
m
2
(x
2
+ y
2
), U
2
= m(x y xy) (28)
U
1
is the centrifugal potential energy resulting from the centrifugal inertial force, which
depends only on the generalized coordinates. Since the R reference rotates around the
xed z-axis in R

reference, the coordinate z vanishes in U

1
and U
1
is also z-axis-fugal
energy. U
1
is the conservative component of U, U
2
being the non-conservative com-
ponent. The conservative potential energy U
1
results from centrifugal (or z-axis-fugal)
force, the GPE U
2
resulting from Coriolis force.
As to Coriolis force,

F
C
= 2mv , its similar to the Lorentz force for charged
particles at motion in static magnetic eld[6],

F
L
= qv

B. Obviously,

F
L
= 0,

F
L
is non-conservative, too. And

B =

A, where

A is the magnetic vectorial
potential. Its proved that the generalized Lagrange potential energy corresponding to
F
L
= qv

B = qv (

A) is [2]:
U = qv

A (29)
Similarly, lets represent as =

A. Considering =

k, hence

A
1
= y

i,

A
2
=
x

j or

A
3
=
1
2
(y

i + x

j) could all lead to

A
i
=

k = , (i = 1, 2, 3). Yet,

A
3
is actually half of the sum of

A
1
and

A
2
, i.e.

A
3
=
1
2
_

A
1
+

A
2
_
, so with a resembling
method, such as the sum of
1
n

A
1
and
n1
n

A
2
, we could generate numerous candidates
of

A, which satises =

k =

A, and

F
C
= 2mv = 2mv (

A). Similar
to Eq29, we attain the generalized Lagrange potential energy corresponding to

F
C
:
U
2
= 2mv

A (30)
For a unique

F
C
, due to the diversity of

A, U
2
is not unique at all, so does U = U
1
+U
2
.
However, only one of the numerous GPEs generated by

F
C
is eective for the identity
of Lagrange functions in rest inertial reference R

and rotating reference R, i.e. in Eq3

and Eq7. And the eective one, U in Eq9, is the particular case when

A takes the value
of

A
3
above.
The formulation of this paper could act as a model and work in dierent problems.
As an example, stellar and galaxies in the distance could be selected to be inertial ref-
erence at rest, and the earth rotates around its polar axis uniformly. In some global
7
motions such as ocean currents and trade winds, Coriolis force makes a considerable
dierence. The formulation in this paper works well on such practical problems.
Reference
[1]Marion J B, Classical Dynamics of Particles and Systems(Ed2). Academic Press.
1970. 189-227.
[2]JIN S N. Classical Mechanics. Shanghai: Fudan University Press, 1987. 198-220.
[3]Greenwood D T. Classical Dynamics. Prence-Hall Inc., 1977. 56-102.
[4]ZHOU Y B. Textbook for Theoretical Mechanics(Ed2). Beijing: High Education
Press, 1986. 241-298.
[5]Wu D Y. Classical Dynamics. Beijing: Science Press, 1982. 33-85.
[6]Guo S H. Electrodynamics(Ed2). Beijing: High Education Press, 1997. 98-107.
Appendix:
This paper is accepted by Science and Technology of Western China, by the Chinese
Academy of Science
8