Leme18jan

January 2018 solution

José Costa leme, Escola EB23/S de lanheses, Viana do Castelo , Portugal

Method 1

The figure shows the free-body diagram of the system. The light horizontal rod, for small-
amplitude oscillations,
A move a distance x to the right from its equilibrium position.

l L

F1
d x
F2
x B C
 l
Mg
D

Let us call F1 and F2 the forces in the pivots B and C.

There is no acceleration in the vertical direction, so the equations of motion for the sphere in
the vertical and horizontal direction are, respectively

𝐹1 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 + 𝐹2 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 − 𝑀𝑔 = 0 (1)

−𝐹1 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 + 𝐹2 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 = 𝑀𝑥̈ (2)

For small-amplitude oscillations 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 ≈ 1

and (1) is

𝐹1 + 𝐹2 = 𝑀𝑔 (3)

The equation for rotational equilibrium relative to the midpoint of the rod is
𝐿 𝐿
−𝐹1 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 2 + 𝐹2 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 2 + 𝑀𝑔𝑑 = 0 (4)

for small-amplitude oscillations we obtain for (4)

𝑀𝑔𝑑
𝐹2 − 𝐹1 = −2 𝐿
(5)

From equations (3) and (5) we obtain

𝑀𝑔 2𝑑
𝐹1 = 2
(1 + 𝐿 ) (6)

𝑀𝑔 2𝑑
𝐹2 = 2
(1 − 𝐿 ) (7)

For small-amplitude oscillations 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 ≈ 𝜃 and 𝑥 ≅ 𝑙𝜃

Substituting in (2)
𝑥
(𝐹2 − 𝐹1 ) = 𝑀𝑥̈ (8)
𝑙

From (6), (7) and (8) we obtain the equation of motion for the sphere
2𝑔𝑑
𝑥̈ + 𝐿𝑙
𝑥 =0 (9)

This equation is of the form

𝑥̈ + 𝜔2 𝑥 = 0 (10)

Which describes simple harmonic motion of a particle at angular frequency 𝜔. Comparing (9)
and (10) we see that

2𝑔𝑑 2𝑔𝑑
𝜔2 = 𝐿𝑙
or 𝜔 = √ 𝐿𝑙

The period of oscillation is

2𝜋 𝑙𝐿
𝑇= 𝜔
= 2𝜋√2𝑔𝑑 .

Method 2

Let us locate the system when the lights rods are deviated through 𝛼 and 𝜃 is the angular
deviation of the light rod (BC) from its equilibrium position.

A
𝐿
 2
B’ y d
𝛼 Cx
B MP 𝛼
C’

l

Let 𝑥 and 𝑦 be the displacement of the sphere from the equilibrium position.

Then the kinetic energy is given by

1
𝑇 = 𝑀 (𝑥̇ 2 + 𝑦̇ 2 ) (1)
2

For small-amplitude oscillations 𝑦̇ ≈ 0 and 𝑥 ≈ 𝑙𝜃 and 𝑥̇ ≈ 𝑙𝜃̇, we have

1 1
𝑇 = 2 𝑀 𝑥̇ 2 = 2 𝑀 𝑙 2 𝜃̇ 2 (2)

From the figure and the geometry

𝑦 = 𝑑 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝛼 (3)

𝐿 2𝜃𝑙
2
𝛼 = 𝜃𝑙 ⟺ 𝛼 = 𝐿
(4)

For the potential energy expression we assume that the position of the sphere is 𝑦 therefore
from (3) e (4),

2𝜃𝑙
𝑈 = 𝑀𝑔𝑦 = 𝑀𝑔𝑑 𝑠𝑖𝑛( 𝐿
) (5)

The Lagrangian of the system is then given by

1 2𝜃𝑙
𝐿 = 𝑇 − 𝑈 ⟺ 𝐿 = 2 𝑀 𝑙 2 𝜃̇ 2 − 𝑀𝑔𝑑 𝑠𝑖𝑛( 𝐿
) (7)

The Lagrange’s equation of motion for such system is

𝑑 𝜕𝐿 𝜕𝐿
( ) − 𝜕𝜃
𝑑𝑡 𝜕𝜃̇
=0 (8)

𝜕𝐿
= 𝑀 𝑙 2 𝜃̇ (9)
𝜕𝜃̇

𝑑 𝜕𝐿
( )
𝑑𝑡 𝜕𝜃̇
= 𝑀𝑙 2 𝜃̈ (10)

𝜕𝐿 𝜃̇ 𝑙 2𝜃𝑙
𝜕𝜃
= −2𝑀𝑔𝑑 𝐿
𝑐𝑜𝑠( 𝐿
) (11)

2𝜃𝑙
For small-amplitude oscillation 𝑐𝑜𝑠( ) ≈1
𝐿

Thus the equation (11) is

𝜕𝐿 𝜃̇ 𝑙
= −2𝑀𝑔𝑑 (12)
𝜕𝜃 𝐿

From (10) and (12) and substituting in (8) and rearrange we find

𝜃 ̇
𝜃̈ + 2𝑔𝑑 𝐿𝑙 = 0 (13)

This equation is of the form

𝑥̈ + 𝜔2 𝑥 = 0 (14)

Which describes simple harmonic motion of a particle at angular frequency 𝜔. Comparing (13)
and (14) we see that

2𝑔𝑑 2𝑔𝑑
𝜔2 = 𝐿𝑙
or 𝜔 = √ 𝐿𝑙

The period of oscillation is then

2𝜋 𝑙𝐿
𝑇= = 2𝜋√ .
𝜔 2𝑔𝑑