Classical Mechanics - Homework Assignment 8

Alejandro Gómez Espinosa∗

November 20, 2012

Goldstein, Ch.8, 14 The Lagrangian for a system can be written as

ẏ p
L = aẋ2 + b + cẋẏ + f y 2 ẋż + g ẏ 2 − k x2 + y 2
x
where a, b, c, f, g and k are constants. What is the Hamiltonian?. What quantities are conserved?.
Let’s use the Hamiltonian formulation:
∂L
H = q̇i pi − L, pi = (1)
∂ q̇i
Then,
∂L
px = = 2aẋ + cẏ + f y 2 ż (2)
∂ ẋ
∂L b
py = = + cẋ + 2g ẏ (3)
∂ ẏ x
∂L
pz = = f y 2 ẋ (4)
∂ ż
The Hamiltonian is given by:
ẏ p
H = ẋpx + ẏpy + żpz − aẋ2 − b − cẋẏ − f y 2 ẋż − g ẏ + k x2 + y 2
x
b ẏ p
= 2aẋ2 + cẋẏ + f y 2 ẋż + ẏ + cẋẏ + 2g ẏ 2 + f y 2 ẋż − aẋ2 − b − cẋẏ − f y 2 ẋż − g ẏ 2 + k x2 + y 2
x p x
2 2 2 2 2
= aẋ + cẋẏ + f y ẋż + g ẏ + k x + y
 
2 2 2 1 b cpz p
= 2aẋ + cẋẏ + f y ẋż − aẋ + p y − − 2 + k x2 + y 2 using (3)
2 x fy
 
2 1 b cpz p
= ẋpx − aẋ + p y − − 2 + k x2 + y 2 using (2)
2 x fy
ap2z
 
px pz 1 b cpz p
= − + p y − − + k x2 + y 2 using (4)
f y2 f 2y4 2 x f y2

∂L
Finally, pz is conserved due to ∂z = 0 and the energy due to the Hamiltonian doesn’t depend on
time.
∗
gomez@physics.rutgers.edu

1
Goldstein, Ch.8, 15 A dynamical system has the Lagrangian

q̇22
L = q̇12 + 2 + k1 q12 + k2 q̇1 q̇2
a + bq1

where a, b, k1 and k2 are constants. Find the equations of motion in the Hamiltonian formulation.
For simplicity, let’s use the previous Lagrangian in the matrix notation:
 T   !
k2
q̇ q̇ 1
L= 1 A 1 + k1 q12 , A= k2
2
1
q̇2 q̇2 2 a+bq12

Then, the momentum can be written as:

   
p1 ∂L q̇ 1
p= = = 2A 1 = 2Aq̇ ⇒ q̇ = A−1 ṗ (5)
p2 ∂ q̇i q̇2 2

The Hamiltonian has the form:

H = p · q̇ − L
= p · q̇ − q̇T Aq̇ − k1 q12
1 1
= pA−1 p − pA−1 p + k1 q12 using (5)
2 4
1 −1
= pA p + k1 q12
4

where: !
1 1
a+bq12
− k22
A−1 = k12
1
− − k22 1
a+bq12 4

Finally the equations of motion in the Hamiltonian formulation are:

2bq1 p21
   
1
∂H k 2 2
(a+bq1 ) 2 − 2k 1 q 1
1
ṗ = − =  a+bq12 − 41 
∂qi
0
∂H 1
q̇ = = A−1 p
∂pi 2

2
Goldstein, Ch.8, 26 A particle of mass m can move in one dimension under the influence of two springs
connected to fixed points a distance a apart (see Figure 1). The springs obey Hooke’s law and have
zero unstretched lenghts and force constants k1 and k2 , respectively.

Figure 1: Sketch of problem 26. A particle of mas m moving under the influence of two springs.

(a) Using the position of the partice from one fixed point as the generalized coordinate, find the
Lagrangian and the corresponding Hamiltonian. Is the energy conserved? Is the Hamiltonian
conserved?
For this system, the kinetic and potential energy are:

mẋ2 k1 x2 k2 (a − x)2
T = , V = +
2 2 2
and the Lagrangian is given by:

mẋ2 k1 x2 k2 (a − x)2
L= − − (6)
2 2 2
Then, to find the Hamiltonian:
∂L px
px = = mẋ ⇒ ẋ =
∂ ẋ m
and the Hamiltonian can be written as:

H = ẋpx − L
p2x p2 k1 x2 k2 (a − x)2
= − x + +
m 2m 2 2
p2x k1 x2 k2 (a − x)2
= + +
2m 2 2

As the Hamiltonian doesn’t depend explicitly on time, it is conserved. It is the same for the
energy.
(b) Introduce a new coordinate Q defined by:

k2 a
Q = q − b sin wt, b=
k1 + k2
What is the Lagrangian in terms of Q? What is the corresponding Hamiltonian? Is the energy
conserved? Is the Hamiltonian conserved?
Considering the new coordinate:

q = Q + b sin wt ⇒ q̇ = Q̇ + bw cos wt

3
 In the Lagrangian of equation (6), let’s replace x = q. Then:

m 2 k
1
L= Q̇ + bw cos wt − (Q + b sin wt)2k2 (a − Q − b sin wt)2
2 2 2

And the momentum:

∂L   P
P = = m Q̇ + bw cos wt ⇒ Q̇ = − bw cos wt
∂ Q̇ m

Finally, the Hamiltonian is given by:

H = Q̇P − L
2
P2

m P k1
= − bwP cos wt − − bw cos wt + bw cos wt − (Q + b sin wt)2k2 (a − Q − b sin wt)2
m 2 m 2 2

P 2 k1
= − bwP cos wt − (Q + b sin wt)2k2 (a − Q − b sin wt)2
2m 2 2

In this case, the Hamiltonian does not depend explicitly on time and the potential does not
depend on the velocity, then it is not conserved. In the case of the energy, as we do have any
discipative force in this case, the energy must be conserved.

Goldstein, Ch.8, 33 Two mass points, m1 and m2 , are connected by a string that acts as Hooke’s-law
spring with force constant k. One particle is free to move without friction on a smooth horizontal
plane surface, the other hangs vertically down from the string through a hole in the surface. Find
the condition for steady motion in which the mass point on the plane rotates uniformly at constant
distance from the hole. Investigate the small oscillations in the radial distance from the hole, and
in the vertical height of the second particle.
Let’s define the coordinates of the particle m1 in the plane as r, θ and the coordinate for m2 hanging
from the plane as z. Then, the kinetic and potential energy are:

m1 ṙ2 m1 r2 θ2 m2 ż 2 k(r + z)2

T = + + , V = − m2 gz
2 2 2 2
Using this expression, the Lagrangian is written as:

m1 ṙ2 m1 r2 θ2 m2 ż 2 k(r + z)2

L= + + − + m2 gz
2 2 2 2
Calculate the momentum of each coordinate:
∂L pr
pr = = m1 ṙ ⇒ ṙ =
∂ ṙ m1
∂L pθ
pθ = = m1 r2 θ̇ ⇒ θ̇ =
∂ θ̇ m1 r2
∂L pz
pz = = m2 ż ⇒ ż =
∂ ż m2

4
The Hamiltonian is then given by:

H = ṙpr + θ̇pθ + żpz − L

p2r p2 p2 p2 p2θ p2 k(r + z)2
= + θ2 + z − r − 2
− z + − m2 gz
m1 m1 r m2 2m1 2m1 r 2m2 2
p2r p2θ p2z kr2 kz 2
= + + + + krz + − m2 gz
2m1 2m1 r2 2m2 2 2

Now, let’s use the Routh’s procedure. Find the expression of R using the previous Lagrangian and
Hamiltonian:

R = Hcycl (pi ) − Lnon−cycl (qi , q̇i )

p2θ m1 ṙ2 m2 ż 2 kr2 kz 2
= − − + + krz + + m2 gz
2m1 r2 2 2 2 2
Using this procedure, we have to solve first for the non-cyclic coordinates:
 
d ∂R ∂R
− =0
dt ∂ q̇i ∂qi
Therefore:
 
d ∂R d
= (−m1 r̈) = −m1 r̈
dt ∂ ṙ dt
∂R
= kr + kz
∂r
m2 r̈ + kr + kz = 0

 
d ∂R d
= (−m1 z̈) = −m1 z̈
dt ∂ ż dt
∂R
= kz + kr + m2 g
∂z
m2 z̈ + kz + kr + m2 g = 0

Now, for the cyclic coordinates:

∂R ∂R
= q̇i , = ṗi
∂pi ∂ q̇i
Thus,
∂R pθ
= = θ̇
∂pθ m1 r 2
∂R
= 0 = ṗθ
∂ θ̇
pθ = m1 r2 θ̇ = l = constant
l
Then, the condition for steady motion is θ̇ = m1 r 2
.
For the small oscillations, the kinetic energy is:
m1 ṙ2 m2 ż 2
 
m1 0
T = + =
2 2 0 m2

5
and the potential energy:
!
kr2 kz 2 l2 6l2 k
k+ m1 r4 2
V = + krz + + m2 gz + = k
2 2 m1 r 2 2 k

including the conditions for equilibrium:

2l2

∂L 
= kr0 + kz0 − =0
∂r r=r0 m1 r03

∂L 
= kz0 + kr0 − m2 g = 0
∂z z=z0
2l2
= m2 g
m1 r04
Finally, to find the frequency of small oscillations we compute the determinant:
 
 k + 6l2 − w2 m k 
4 1
det |V − w2 T | =  k m1 r0 2
=0
 
 2
k − w m2 
2

3l2
k2
 
2
k− 4
− w m1 k − w2 m2 − =0
m1 r 4
Solving this equation we found the frequencies for small oscillations.