Classical Mechanics (PHYS 505) HW 3 Due Thursday 4/19/18

(100 pts)

1. (20 pts) The pivot of a simple pendulum of length l is attached to a

disc of radius R, which rotates in the plane of the pendulum with angular
velocity ω. (See the diagram below). Write down the Lagrangian and
derive the equations of motion for dynamical variable θ.

2. (20 pts) A particle of mass m1 is restricted to move on a circle of radius

R1 in the plane z = 0, with center at (x, y) = (0, 0). A second particle of
mass m2 is restricted to move on a circle of radius R2 in the plane z = c
with center at (x, y) = (0, a). The two particles are connected by a spring
resulting in the potential

V = 12 ω 2 d2

where d is the distance between the particles. Identify the two generalised
coordinates and write down the Lagrangian of the system. Show that
when the circles lie directly beneath each other, a = 0, then there is an
extra symmetry in the system.

3. (30 pts)

(a) A point mass is placed on the top of a fixed smooth sphere in a

gravitational field. Show that it leaves the fixed sphere at a polar
angle arccos 32 ≈ 48.19o .

1
 (b) The point mass is replaced by a roughened sphere that rolls without
sliding on the fixed sphere. Show that it leaves the fixed sphere at a
polar angle arccos 10
17
≈ 53.97o .

4. (30 pts) A uniform ladder of length L and mass M has one end on a
smooth horizontal floor and the other end against a smooth vertical wall.
The ladder is initially at rest in a vertical plane perpendicular to the wall
and makes an angle θ0 with the horizontal. Make a convenient choice of
generalized coordinates and find the Lagrangian. Derive the corresponding
equations of motion. Prove that the ladder leaves the wall when its upper
end has fallen to a height 32 L sin θ0 .