Classical

Mechanics
(PHL 103)

Day 3
January 09, 2015

Asoka Biswas
 Degree of Freedom (DOF)
For a system of N number of parHcles, the number of independent coordinates
required to specify the posiHon of the system is 3N, if there is no constraint.

If there are k number of equaHons of constraints, the number goes down to 3N k.

1. A free parHcle : DOF =3

2. N free parHcles: DOF = 3N

3. N parHcle with k constraint relaHons: DOF = 3N-k

4. A dumbbell: DOF = 6-1=5

09/01/15 PHL103: Lecture 3 2

 Generalized Coordinate
A set of coordinates or parameters, which uniquely describe the geometric
posi9on and/or orienta9on of body, or system of bodies, is called the generalized
coordinates of the system

We can choose any set of the required number of independent quanHHes say
(q1, q2, . qn) such that all Cartesian coordinates are known funcHon of the
qi variables:
! !
ri ri ( q1 ,q2 ,q3 ,""q3N k ,t )

Remember: Generalized coordinates are all scalars.

These coordinates need not be posiHon coordinates. They can be
energy, momentum etc.

09/01/15 PHL103: Lecture 3 3

 Lagranges equaHon of moHon
DAlemberts principle:
! ext !
( )
!
Fi p" i . ri = 0
i

This cannot be simplied as the coordinates are not independent.

We derive an equaHon, which can be simplied, using generalized coordinates.

This equaHon has a form

( X ) q
j
j j =0

Because, qs are independent coordinates, we can write

Xj =0 LEM
The following derivaHon focuses on rs to qs transformaHon, simply.

09/01/15 PHL103: Lecture 3 4

 LEM
PosiHon coordinate:
! !
(
ri = ri q1 ,q2, ......,qn ;t )
!
! ri
Change in posiHon: ri = qj (1)
j q j
! !
! ! r r
Velocity: vi = r"i = i q" j + i (2)
j q j t

2nd term in the DAlemberts principle:

!
!" ! ! ri
pi . ri = miri . q q j
"" Use (1)
i i, j j

! ! !
!"" ri d !" ri !" d ri
mi ri . = mi ri . mi r .
q j dt q j dt q j
09/01/15 PHL103: Lecture 3 5
 LEM
! ! ! !
d ri !" vi vi ri
= ri = and = from (2)

dt q j q j q j q j q j
"

Using these, ! ! !
! r d ! r ! d r
mi r""i . i = mi r"i . i mi r" . i
q j dt q j dt q j
! !
d ! vi ! vi
= m v . m v .
dt i i
q" j i i
q j

The 2nd term thus becomes

! d ! v! !
!"" ri ! v
miri . q q j = dt mivi . q"i mivi . qi q j
i, j j
i, j j j

09/01/15 PHL103: Lecture 3 6
 LEM
Rewrite this expression:
! d 1

!"" i r 2
1 2
miri . q q j = dt q" 2mivi q 2mivi q j
i, j j j i
j j i
d T T
= q j
j dt q j
" q j

1st term in the DAlemberts principle:

! ext ! ! ext r!i

Fi . ri = Fi . q q j = Q j q j
i i, j j j

! ext r!i
where Q j = Fi . is the generalized force
i q j
09/01/15 PHL103: Lecture 3
(Q. Dimension of force ?) 7
 LEM
Combine the 1st and 2nd terms together:

! ext ! d T T
( )
!
Fi p" i . ri = Q j q j = 0
i j
dt q" j q j

For holonomic constraints, the generalized coordinates are independent.

d T T
Qj =0 j = 1,2,....,n
dt q! j q j

These are the equaHons that involve generalized coordinates, generalized

velociHes, and generalized forces, which are all scalar quanHHes

The most general LEM

09/01/15 PHL103: Lecture 3 8

 LEM
If the forces are derivable from certain potenHal:
! ext !
Fi = iV
the generalized forces become

! ext r!i ! !
ri V
Q j = Fi . = iV . =
i q j i q j q j

LEM takes the form

d T (T V )
=0
dt q j
! q j

09/01/15 PHL103: Lecture 3 9

 LEM
If V is not an explicit funcHon of the generalized velociHes,
V
=0
q! j

d (T V ) (T V )
So, we can write, =0

dt q j
! q j

d L L
or =0 LEMs arrived

dt q! j q j

L = T V Lagrangian

This is the most useful and most encountered version of LEM

09/01/15 PHL103: Lecture 3 10

 Lagrangian
L is a funcHon of generalized coordinate, generalized velocity, and Hme.

(
L L {q1 ,q2 ,...,qn } , {q!1 , q!2 ,..., q!n } ,t )
L is not a unique funcHon. You can construct many such funcHons, which
saHses LEM up to certain gauge transformaHon.

The most generalized LEM is good for non-conservaHve system also, in which
V does not depend explicitly upon t.

All you need to write T and V in terms of generalized coordinates and

velociHes .

09/01/15 PHL103: Lecture 3 11