1.

A particle, P, moves under the influence of a central

force given by F ( r ) = − k r n , where k is a constant, and P
r is the distance from the force center O. The particle’s r
orbit is a circle of radius a, and passes through the force
center as shown in the figure.
θ
O a
(a) Find the equation for the orbit, in the form r as a
function of θ.
(b) What are the conserved quantities? Write
equations for them.
(c) Show that n must be equal to 5.

Solution: (a) The situation is as shown in the figure:

Here C is the center of the circle and O is the force

center. Since the triangle is a right triangle, the equation
r
for the orbit is
r = 2a cos θ .
θ
O a
(b) The energy of the orbit is C
E=
1
2
(
m r 2 + r 2θ 2 −) k
( n − 1) r n−1
,

and the angular momentum is

l = mr 2θ.

(c) Using the equation for the orbit in the energy equation, and then the angular momentum
equation to eliminate θ , we get
l2
m ( 4a sin θ + 4a cos θ ) 2
1 k
E= 2 2 2 2
−
m ( 2a cos θ ) ( n − 1)( 2a cos θ )
4 n −1
2
l2 k
= − .
8a m cos θ ( n − 1)( 2a )n −1 cos n −1 θ
2 4

The energy is a constant of the motion. This is possible only if n = 5.

2. Particles of mass m1 elastically scatter from particles of mass m2 at rest.

(a) At what LAB angle should an instrument be set to detect particles that lose one-third of their
momentum (i.e. the magnitude of the momentum is reduced by one-third)?

(b) Show that the scattering angle is 90° for mass ratio m1/m2 = 5/13.

Solution: (a) Denote the pre-collision velocity of the incident particle in the LAB frame by u,
and the post-collision velocities of the two particles by v1 and v2. Because the collision is elastic,
kinetic energy is conserved. Hence
1 1 1
= m1u 2 m1v12 + m2 v2 2 .
2 2 2
We are told that v1 = 2u 3. Hence
5
m1u 2 = m2 v2 2 .
9
From conservation of momentum
=
m1u m1 v1 + m2 v 2 .
Hence
2
= m1u m1 u cosψ + m2 v2 cos ζ ,
3
2
= 0 m1 u sinψ − m2 v2 sin ζ ,
3
where ψ and ζ are the LAB frame scattering angles. Eliminating ζ we obtain
 m   2 
2 2
 4
v2 =  1 u  1 − cosψ  + sin 2 ψ  .
2

 m2   3  9 
On eliminating v2 from this and the kinetic energy equation, we get
13m1 − 5m2
ψ = cos −1 ,
12m1
which is the desired angle.

=
(b) If m1 = 5m2/13, then ψ cos
= −1
0 90.
3. A particle of mass m slides down a
smooth circular wedge of mass M as
shown. The wedge rests on a smooth R
horizontal table. Find the equations m
of motion of m and M.
M

Solution: Choose generalized co-ordinates X and θ as shown below. Here X is measured from a
fixed position on the table.
The position of the particle is
θ
x X + R cos θ ,
=
y= R − R sin θ .
Hence the velocity is
x X − Rθ sin θ ,
=
y = − Rθ cos θ .
The kinetic and potential energies X
are

1
2
=
Tm ( x 2 + y 2 ) + MX=
1
2
2 1
2
(
m X 2 − 2 XR
2
)
 θ sin θ + R 2θ 2 + 1 MX 2 ,

=V mgR (1 − sin θ ) .
Hence the Lagrangian is

L=
1
2
(
m X 2 − 2 XR )
 θ sin θ + R 2θ 2 + 1 MX 2 − mgR (1 − sin θ ) .
2
The Euler-Lagrange equations of motion are
d
( m + M ) X − mRθ sin θ  = 0,
dt 
and

m
d
dt
− XR(
 sin θ + R 2θ =) −mXR  θ cos θ + mgR cos θ .

The equations become on carry out the time derivatives:

( m + M ) X − mRθsin θ − mRθ2 cos θ = 0,
and
− X sin θ + Rθ =
g cos θ .
4. Investigate the motion of a particle repelled by a force center according to the law F ( r ) = kr.
Show that the orbit can only be hyperbolic.

Solution: Using Cartesian coordinates with origin at the force center, the equations of motion are
mx = kx,
my = ky,
where m is the mass of the particle. We can choose the orientation of the axes so that y(0) = 0.
The solutions to the equations of motion are
= x A cosh ωt + B sinh ωt ,
y = C sinh ωt ,
where ω 2 = k m . Eliminating sinh ωt from these equations, we get
1 B 
ωt
cosh= x− y .
A C 
Since cosh 2 ωt − sinh 2 ωt =
1, we find that the orbit is
2
1  B  y2
 x − y − 2 = 1.
A2  C  C
This is an equation for a conic section. It has asymptotes
A B
x= ± y + y.
C C
Unless A = 0, this is a pair of straight lines and hence the orbit is a hyperbola. If A = 0, the orbit
is a straight line starting at the force center.
5. If the Earth's orbit is divided in two by its minor axis, how much longer does it spend in one
half than the other? The eccentricity of Earth's orbit is e = 0.0167.

Solution. It is clear from the figure that the areas

swept out by the position vector of the Earth in the
two halves are equal to half the area of the ellipse ±
the area of a triangle with base 2b and height ae,
namely
1
π ab ± aeb.
2
Since Kepler’s second law tells us the ‘equal areas are
swept out in equal times’, the times taken are
1 e
± yr.
2 π
The difference between the two is 2e π yr = 3.88 d.
6. A uniform sphere of mass M has radius R.
(a) What is the gravitational potential, Φ, at distance r from the center of the sphere for r > R.
(b) Find the gravitational potential at distance r from the center of the sphere for r < R.
(c) Find the gravitational potential energy of the sphere in terms of G, M and R.

Solution: (a) Outside the sphere the gravitational potential is the same as that for a point of mass M at r =
0. Hence for r > R,
GM
Φ (r ) =
− .
r

(b) Insider the sphere the acceleration due to gravity is

Gm
g= − rˆ ,
r2
where m is the mass inside a sphere of radius r. Since m M = ( r R ) and g = −∇Φ, we have
3

d Φ GM  r  GM
3

= =   r.
dr r2  R  R3
Hence for r < R,
1 GM  r2 
Φ=−  3 − 2 
,
2 R  R 
where the constant of integration has been determine from continuity of the potential at r = R.

(c) Consider a uniform sphere of mass m and radius r. If a small amount of mass ∆m is added uniformly
over the surface of the sphere, the gravitational energy is incremented by − Gm∆m r . Hence the
gravitational energy of the sphere of mass M is
−1 3
Gm  m 
M M 1
Gm GM 2 2 3 3 GM 2
−∫ −∫
R ∫0
U= dm =   dm =
− x dx =
− .
0
r 0
R M  5 R