Proposed Solution by Alejandro Cárdenas-Avendaño (acardenasavendano.

org)

A bead on a rotating helical wire

A bead (mass m) slides frictionlessly on a wire which is wound in a helix about the vertical (z) axis. The helix
is described in cylindrical coordinates by
r=R
j = kz + j0 ,
where k is the right-handed pitch of the helix. A motor is causing the helical wire to spin about the axis (picture a
barber’s pole) so that f0 = wt , where w is the constant rate of driving. Gravity is gẑ. At t = 0 the bead is at rest
at the top of the wire, z = h.

a) Introduce coordinates and constraint equations to enable the calculation of all components of forces on the
wire. Find the Lagrangian and equations of motion.
The helix is described in cylindrical coordinates by
r = R
f = kz + f0 ,
where k is the the right handed pitch of the helix. Adding the motor causing the helical wire to spin we modify the
last restriction as
f0 = wt,
where w is the constant rate of driving. The latter conditions can be cast into two restriction functions as
C1 = r R (1)
C2 = f kz wt, (2)
and use r, f and z as the coordinates to write the EOMs to get the components of forces on the wire. Nevertheless,
it is important to note that, only z is the generalized coordinate.
Let us start by writing the energies to build the Lagrangian. The potential energy is
V = mgz
and the kinetic energy is
1 ⇣ 2 ⌘
T= m ṙ + r2 ḟ2 + ż2
2
so the Lagrangian is
1 ⇣ 2 ⌘
L= m ṙ + r2 ḟ2 + ż2 mgz,
2
which allows us to write the EOM for each variable as
✓ ◆
d ∂L ∂L ∂C
= l1 1
dt ∂ṙ ∂r ∂r
d
(mṙ ) mr ḟ2 = l1
dt
) mr̈ mr ḟ2 = l1 ,

✓ ◆
d ∂L ∂L ∂C2
= l2
dt ∂ḟ ∂f ∂f
d ⇣ 2 ⌘
mr ḟ = l2
dt
) 2mrṙ ḟ + mr2 f̈ = l2 ,

1
 Proposed Solution by Alejandro Cárdenas-Avendaño (acardenasavendano.org)

and
✓ ◆
d ∂L ∂L ∂C2
= l2
dt ∂ż ∂z ∂z
d
(mż) + mg = kl2
dt
) mz̈ + mg = kl2 .

We can understand l1 as a normal force that the wire exerts outwards and l2 as the normal force that it exerts
upwards.

b) Solve for motion of the bead and find the forces of constraint. When does the bead hit the bottom, z = 0?
From the constraints we get that
ṙ = r̈ = 0
and

ḟ = kż + w (3)
f̈ = kz̈

which allow us to write them as

mR (k ż + w )2 = l1 (4)
2
mR f̈ = l2 (5)
f̈ k
+g = l2 . (6)
k m
From the last one we get ✓ ◆
m f̈
+g = l2 .
k k
Now, let us write this result in Eq. (5) to get
✓ ◆
m f̈
mR2 f̈ = +g
k k
✓ ◆
1 f̈
R2 f̈ + +g = 0
k k
R2 k 2 + 1 g
f̈ + = 0
k2 k
kg
f̈ =
R2 k 2 +1
subject to f (0) = kh and ḟ (0) = w. Furthermore, let us define

kg
g⌘
R2 k 2 + 1

to write the non-homogeneous differential equation as

f̈ = g.

Therefore
g 2
f = kh + wt t .
2
Using the constraint we also know that

2
 Proposed Solution by Alejandro Cárdenas-Avendaño (acardenasavendano.org)

g
z̈ =
k
and finally
g 2
z=h t . (7)
2k
Using this equation we can get one force from Eq. (4) as
⇣ ⇣ g ⌘ ⌘2
mR k t +w = l1
k
mR ( gt + w )2 = l1

and therefore
mR (w gt)2 = l1 .

From Eq. (5) we get

mR2 g = l2 . (8)
Now, from Eq. (7) we can calculate when the beat hits the bottom, i.e.,
g 2
0 = h t
q2k
g
± 4 2k h
t = g .
2k
s
2k
= ±2 h
g

where the solution to be physical must be the positive one, i.e.,

s
2k
t=2 h.
g