PHYS 311 HW 4

Solution Manual
Shuting Zhang
March 1, 2015

1. 6.17 - 16 points
Find the geodesics on the cone whose equation in cylindrical polar coordinates is x = .
In cylindrical polar coordinates the distance element is
s
p
d
2
2
2
2
dl = d + d + dz = 2 ( )2 + 2 + 1d
d
So the distance between two points is
Z
Z p
Z
L = dl =
2 02 + 2 + 1d = f (, 0 , )d
The Euler-Lagrange equation is
d f
f
=
0
d

So we have

d
2 0
p
=0
d 2 02 + 2 + 1
2 0
p
=c
2 02 + 2 + 1

where c is a constant. Therefore

s
0

=
=

c(2 + 1)
2 (2 c)

p
1 + 2 arccos(0 /) + 0

cos(( 0 )/ 1 + 2 )

where 0 , 0 are constants. When = 0, =

0
cos(0 ) ,

which is a line in the plain.

2. Consider the surface of a cylinder with radius, R. A coordinate may be thus described by (, z), as
shown:

(a) - 16 points
Take two points near one another, at a position, (, z), and at ( + d, z + dz). What is the
distance, dl between them?
(b) Let us suppose we are trying to wind a string around the cylinder such that we may specify:
z = z()
as a unique function. What is the length of a piece of string needed to wind from 1 to 2 in
terms of z()?
Your answer should be in integral form, and 1) Should only be an integral over , and 2) Should
include z 0 = dz/d.
(c) Your answer to the previous part should take the form:
Z
L = df (z, z 0 )
where f (z, z 0 ) is a function that you determined as part of your answer. Use the Euler-Lagrange
equation to find a relationship for z 0 as a function of that minimizes the length of string needed.
(a)
dl =

p
R2 d2 + dz 2

(b)The length of a piece of string is

Z
L=

dl =

Z p

R2 + z 02 d

(c)Here we have
Z
L=
where f (z, z 0 ) =

df (z, z 0 )

R2 + z 02

The Euler-Lagrange equation is

d f
f
=
d z 0
z
So we have

z0
=c
R2 + z 02

Therefore
z0 =

cR
1 c2

z=

cR
+ z0
1 c2

where c1 and c2 are constants.

3. 7.3 - 16 points
Consider a mass m moving in two dimensions with potential U (x, y) = 12 kr2 , Write down the Lagrangian and find the two Lagrange equations of motion. Describe the solutions.
The Lagrangian is
L=T U =

1
1
m(x 2 + y 2 ) k(x2 + y 2 )
2
2

The two Lagrange equations are

m
x + kx = 0
m
y + ky = 0
The solutions are
x = x0 cos(t + 1 )
y = y0 cos(t + 2 )
p
where = m
k , x0 ,y0 ,1 ,2 are constants. Therefore the mass oscillates around the origin in x and y
components.
4. 7.8 - 18 points
(a)Write down the Lagrangian L(x1 , x2 , x 1 , x 2 ) for two particles of equal masses confined to x axis and
connected by a spring with potential energy U = 12 kx2 . (b)Rewrite L in terms of the new variables
X = 12 (x1 + x2 ) and x = x1 x2 l, and write down the two Lagrange equations for X and x. (c)Solve
for X(t) and x(t) and describe the motion.
(a)The Lagrangian is
1
1
m(x 21 + x 22 ) k(x1 x2 l)2
2
2

L=T U =
(b)Since

1
(x1 + x2 )
2
x = x1 x2 l

X=

Therefore

1
(2X + x + l)
2
1
x2 = (2X x l)
2
x1 =

So the Lagrangian becomes

L=

1
1
m(4X 2 + x 2 ) kx2
4
2

Therefore the Lagrange equations are

=0
X
2k
x
+
x=0
m
(c)The solutions of the equations are
X =V0 t + X0
r
x =x0 cos(

2k
t + 0 )
m

The CM of the system does uniform linear motion or stays at rest. And the two masses do harmonic
oscillation about the CM.
5. - 14 points
(This is a 1 star, just to get you warmed up.) Consider a particle of mass, m, moving in 1-d under the
potential:
U = cos(kx)
where and k are positive constants.
(a) Write down the Lagrangian for the system.
(b) Write the Euler-Lagrange equations.
(a)
L=

1
mx 2 cos(kx)
2

(b)
m
x = k sin kx
6. - 20 points
Consider a small marble of mass, m, rolling around in a parabolic bowl with a curvature given by:
y=

r2
R

where R is a fixed scale, and r is the radial distance from the central axis, as shown here:

(a) Write down down the Lagrangian of the system as a function of r, (the angle around the bowl),
and their derivatives. You may need to do a little work to get the gravitational potential energy
correct.
(b) Write and simplify the Euler-Lagrange equations.
(c) Under what conditions (if any) will the marble move in a circular orbit around the bowl?
(a)The kinetic energy is
T =

1
4r2 r 2
1
m(r 2 + r2 2 + y 2 ) = m(r 2 + r2 2 +
)
2
2
R2

And the potential energy is

U = mgy =

mgr2
R

Therefore the Lagrangian is

L=T U =

1
4r2 r 2
mgr2
m(r 2 + r2 2 +
)
2
2
R
R

(b)We have
L
4mr2 r
= mr +
r
R2
d L
4mr2 r 8mrr
+
= m
r+
dt r
R2
R2
L
2mgr
4mrr

= mr 2 +
2
r
R
R
And

d L
= mr2 + 2mrr
dt
L
=0

Therefore the Lagrange equations are

r(1 +

4r2 r
2gr
4r2
)
+
r 2 +
=0
2
2
R
R
R
r2 + 2rr =0

(c)If the marble moves in a circular orbit, r = r = 0. Therefore

r 2 +

2gr
=0
R

r
=

2g
R2