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PHYS 705: Classical Mechanics

Examples: Lagrange Equations
and Constraints
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Hoop Rolling Down an Incline Plane

R
 Note: • an object rolls because of friction but static
x friction does no work
• this is different from our previous case with a
f
disk rolling on a 2D plane. This has 1 less dof

Pick the coordinates x,  as shown. The constraint eq (rolling without

slipping) is: x  R  0 We will solve this problem in two ways:

#1: The problem really has one “proper” generalized coordinate x and we will
explicitly use the constraint equation to eliminate  from our analysis. The EOM
is simpler (1D) but we can’t get an expression for the constraint force.
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Hoop Rolling Down an Incline Plane

R m 1 2 1 2
 T mx  I I (hoop)  mR 2
x l 2 2
1 2 1
T  mx  mR 2 2
f 2 2
T  mx 2 applying the constraint: R  x

Now, pick U=0 to be at where the hoop is at the bottom of the incline plane ,
we then have,
U  mg (l  x)sin f
So,
L  mx 2  mg (l  x )sin f
Lagrange Equation gives,
(Correct acceleration for a
g sin f
2mx  mg sin f  0  
x hoop rolling down an
2
incline plane)
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Hoop Rolling Down an Incline Plane

y
In this case, we need to go back to Newtonian mechanics to
mg sin f xˆ get the constraint force:
Fc x
f The constraint force is the static friction Fc needed

f to keep the hoop rolling without slipping.


Newton 2nd law gives, mg sin f  Fc  mx  Fc  mg sin f  mx

Plug in our result for x and we get,

mg sin f mg sin f mg sin f

Fc  mg sin f   Fc   xˆ
2 2 2
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Hoop Rolling Down an Incline Plane

R m #2: Now without explicitly eliminating one of
 the coordinates using the constraint equation,
x l
we will use Lagrange Equation with Lagrange
f multipliers to get both the EOM and the
magnitude of the constraint force.

Using both coordinates : x and 

We have one holonomic constraint g  x,    x  R  0 and we will

have one Lagrange multiplier l.

The relevant terms to be included in the Lagrange equation are:

g g
l  l (for x eq) and l  l R (for  eq)
x 
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Hoop Rolling Down an Incline Plane

1 2 1
T mx  mR 2 2 1 2 1
2 2 L mx  mR 2 2  mg (l  x)sin f
U  mg (l  x )sin f 2 2

The EOM are:

x d  L  L g  d  L  L g
    l 0     l 0
dt  x  x x dt     
mR 2  l R
mx  mg sin f  l (1) mR  l (2)

We have three unknowns: x,  , and l to be solved here.

Together with the constraint equation x  R  0 (3) these system of

equations can be solved. (Note: Constraint Eq is applied AFTER EOM is obtained! )
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Hoop Rolling Down an Incline Plane

Combining Eqs (1) and (2) by eliminating l, we have,

mx  mg sin f  mR

x  R
Now, applying the constraint using Eq (3), we have 

Substituting this into the equation above, we have,

mx  mg sin f  mx

g sin f

x (same EOM for x as previously)
2
Now, we can substitute this back into Eq (1) to solve for l,

mg sin f mg sin f
l  mx  mg sin f   mg sin f  
2 2
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Hoop Rolling Down an Incline Plane

The magnitude of the force of constraint corresponding to the x-EOM
is given by:
g mg sin f
Qx  l 
x 2

By the way, we can also get the EOM for the  variable,
mg sin f
mR  l  
2
 g sin f

2R
Notice that there is another force of constraint (the normal force : FN  mg cos f ).
How can we
We could get that out by introducing get it?“improper” coordinate y that permits
another
motion normal to the incline plane and imposing the constraint y=0.
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Mass Rolling off from a Hemispheric Surface

Problem: A point mass sits on top of a smooth
fixed hemisphere with radius a. Find the force
a 
r of constraint and the angle at which it flies off
U 0
the sphere.

Use coordinates: r and  and constraint: g ( r ,  )  r  a  0

note: v  rrˆ  rθˆ

1 2 m 2 2 2
T  mv 
2 2
r  r    l
g
l
r
U  mgr cos 
g
l 0
m 2 2 2
L  T U 
2
 
r  r   mgr cos  
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m 2 2 2
L
2
 
r  r   mgr cos 

Mass Rolling off from a Hemispheric Surface

r d  L  L g  d  L  L g
l     l 0
   0 dt     
dt  r  r r
d
d
 mr   mr2  mg cos   l  0 dt
 
mr 2  mgr sin   0
dt
mr  mr 2  mg cos   l (1) mr 2  2mrr  mgr sin   0
r  2r  g sin   0 (2)
Inserting constraint: r  a and r  
r  0 , we have

ma 2  mg cos   l (1') a  g sin   0

g
  sin  (2 ')
a
NOTE: To find force of constraint, insert constraint conditions AFTER you have
gotten the E-L equation (with the multiplier) already.
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Mass Rolling off from a Hemispheric Surface

d 2
Note that
dt
  
  2  
g
a
sin 

Substituting  from Eq (2’) into the above equation, we have,

d ( 2 ) g  2g 2 g d  cos  
 2  sin    sin   
dt a  a a dt
 2g
d ( )  
2
d  cos  
a
Integrating both sides, we arrive at the EOM for  ,
2g
 2   cos   C C is an integration constant. Assuming
a
initial condition with(0)   (0)  0 , we
2g
 2  1  cos  have C  2 g a
a
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Mass Rolling off from a Hemispheric Surface

ma 2  mg cos   l (1')
Plugging the last expression into Eq (1’), we have

 2g 
m a  1  cos     mg cos   l
 a 
2mg  2mg cos   mg cos   l

l  mg (3cos   2) (This gives the mag of the constraint force.)

The particle flies off when the constraint force = 0. By setting l =0, we have
the condition,

mg (3cos  c  2)  0
 c  cos 1  2 3  48.2