Classical mechanics

PH 217 Quiz 1

17/9/2020
Total marks : 10

General Instructions

i) Please write your name and the roll number on the top of the answer sheet.

ii) Write the answers in the same order as in the question paper, neatly and legibly.

iii) Finish your test by 11:20 am. Use the remaining time to scan and upload the answer
sheets.

iv) If you are unable to upload the answer sheets due to technical issues, you may email
the scanned copy to raghu@phy.iitb.ac.in - with a subject line “Lagrangian Quiz 1”.
Emails received after 11:35 am. will be not considered for evaluation.

Question 1. Consider a wedge of inclination angle α and of mass mw placed on a

frictionless horizontal plane, aligned along x direction. A smaller block of mass mb is
sliding down on the wedge due to gravityℓ without friction. The wedge can also move on
a horizontal surface with no friction only along x direction (see figure), you may consider
the movement of the wedge as a 1D motion. The only force acting on the system is due
to gravity, as given in the figure . (6 marks) m
eŷ
mb
No
Fric
g tion ex̂
mw
α
No Friction

a) Write (i) the total number of constraints and (ii) the total degrees of freedom of the
system. [1]

b) Obtain the constraint equation(s) [1]

c) Obtain the equations of motions for both the small block and the wedge in terms
Lagrange undetermined multiplier(s) (λi ). (You don’t have to solve the equations
and obtain the expression of λi in this quiz.) [3]

1
Classical mechanics Quiz 1 2

d) if ẍw is the acceleration of the wedge and ẍb is the acceleration of the block in the x
direction, obtain the ratio ẍw /ẍb from the equation of motion[1]

Question 2. Consider the Lagrangian

ax2 a
 
m 2 k
L= ẋ + − xẋ − x2
2 4 2 2

where a and m are constants. (4 marks)

a) Find the Canonical momentum of the Lagrangian. Show that if it is conserved or

not conserved. [1+1]

b) Obtain the Lagrange’s equation of motion and identify the physical system. [1.5+0.5]