Thursday 26th Aug 2021 Tutorial 2 PYL551

1. Consider a double pendulum confined to move in a plane as shown below:

(a) How many degrees of freedom does this system has? (b) Identify the forces of
constraint in the system. (c) Show that the virtual work, i.e. the work done by the
forces of constraint in making a virtual displacement is zero.

2. Consider a cylinder rolling down an inclined plane.

(a) In a situation where there are no constraints, how many coordinated are required
to specify the configuration of the system completely?
(b) Suppose now that the cylinder is constrained to roll without slipping. Is the con-
straint of rolling without slipping in this case a holonomic constraint or a non-holonomic
constraint? Provide argument to support your answer.

3. Consider a disc rolling on a planar surface.

(a) In a situation where there are no constraints, how many coordinated are required
to specify the configuration of the system completely?
(b) Suppose now that the disc is constrained to roll without slipping. Is the constraint
of rolling without slipping in this case a holonomic constraint or a non-holonomic con-
straint? Provide argument to support your answer.

(After giving enough independent thought to the problem, you can read the related
discussion in Goldstein’s book Chapter 1 section 1.3.)

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Thursday 26th Aug 2021 Tutorial 2 PYL551

4. Find the reaction Rb produced at B by a vertical load P applied as shown in the figure
using the Principle of virtual work. (Hint: Imagine removing the support at B and
replacing it by the force Rb . Then impose a virtual displacement and compute the
virtual work.)