Physics 205 Homework 2

Due Monday, October 5 at 5:00 PM

1. Problem 10 on p. 31 of Goldstein.
2. Problem 15 on p. 32 of Goldstein. Try and use proper superscript/subscript
notation for this problem.
3. Problem 20 on p. 33 of Goldstein.
4. Problem 22 on p. 33 of Goldstein. Describe the configuration space
(manifold) Q of this dynamical system. (Hint: it has nontrivial topology.)
5. (From Jose & Saletan.) A wire is bent into the shape given by y =
A|xn |, n 2 and oriented vertically, opening upward, in a uniform gravitational field g. The wire rotates at a constant angular velocity about the y
axis, and a bead of mass m is free to slide on it without friction.
(a) Find all equilibrium heights of the bead on the wire. Consider both n > 2
and also the special case n = 2.
(b) Identify which equilibria are stable. Find the frequency of small vibrations about each stable equilibrium point.
6. (From Jose & Saletan.) A particle of mass m and electric charge e moves
in a uniform electromagnetic field whose potential is = Ex and a uniform
magnetic field whose vector potential is A = Bx
y, where E and B are
constants.
(a) Write down the Lagrangian and describe the general motion: show that
it is along cycloids, more specifically that it is uniform circular motion in the
x y plane superposed on a constant velocity V in the y z plane. Write
down the angular speed of the circular motion and the y-component Vy of
the linear motion, both in terms of the initial conditions.
(b) Take the z-component of the linear motion to be zero. Find initial
conditions for the following three cases: (i) the particle sometimes moves in
the opposite direction to V, (ii) the particle occasionally comes to rest, and
(iii) the particle never moves in the direction opposite to V. Sketch all three
types of trajectories.
(c) Find initial conditions under which the circular part of the motion is
eliminated, so the particle moves at constant velocity in the y z plane.
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