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Central Force Motion: PH303/MECHANICS2/NOTE03/05.08.2009

1) The document discusses central force motion, where a force acts through a single point called the center. The gravitational force between two particles is an example of a central force. 2) For a particle experiencing a central force, the angular momentum with respect to the force center is conserved. The motion is planar. 3) For two particles exerting central forces on each other, the two-body problem can be reduced to an equivalent one-body problem by considering the motion relative to the center of mass.

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nhc2009
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58 views

Central Force Motion: PH303/MECHANICS2/NOTE03/05.08.2009

1) The document discusses central force motion, where a force acts through a single point called the center. The gravitational force between two particles is an example of a central force. 2) For a particle experiencing a central force, the angular momentum with respect to the force center is conserved. The motion is planar. 3) For two particles exerting central forces on each other, the two-body problem can be reduced to an equivalent one-body problem by considering the motion relative to the center of mass.

Uploaded by

nhc2009
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 5

[PH303/MECHANICS2/NOTE03/05.08.

2009] August 5, 2009

This article is five pages long

Central Force Motion


The Central Force

It is a force whose line of action passes through a single point called the centre and whose
magnitude depends only on the distance from the centre.

The gravitational force of attraction (The Inverse Square Law) between two particles is a central
force with either particle acting as a centre of force for the other particle.

The centre of force can be regarded as being fixed in an inertial frame of reference if the particle
responsible for the central force is stationary in the inertial frame or if the mass of the particle is
very large. (The particle experiencing the central force, by Newton’s third law of motion, exerts an
equal and opposite force on the central body. If the mass of the central body is very large, then by
Newton’s second law of motion the acceleration of the central body is negligible and so the force
centre is fixed in an inertial reference frame.)

The One-Body Problem

Let the force centre be fixed in an inertial frame of reference. Then the central force experienced by
a particle of mass m whose position vector with respect to the force centre is r⃗ , is

d 2 ⃗r
F =m 2 =f ( r ) r^ … … … … … … … ..(i)
⃗
dt

Wherer =|⃗r| and r^ is the unit vector directed from the force centre to the particle.

The problem of solving this differential equation for r⃗ is called the one-body problem.

Angular Momentum in a Central Force Field

Let us consider a particle moving under the action of a central force with the centre of force as the
origin of an inertial reference frame.

Then the force experienced by such a particle is given by

F =f ( r ) r^ … … … … … … … … … … ..(ii)
⃗

wherer =|⃗r| and r^ is the unit vector directed from the force centre to the particle.
[PH303/MECHANICS2/NOTE03/05.08.2009] August 5, 2009

The angular momentum of the particle with respect to the force centre is r⃗ × ⃗
p, where ⃗p is the
momentum of the particle with respect to the force centre.

Now,

d d ⃗r d ⃗p
( ⃗r × ⃗p )= × ⃗p + r⃗ × … … … … … … … .(iii )
dt dt dt

And

d ⃗p ⃗
= F … … … … … … …(iv )
dt

So,

d
( ⃗r × ⃗p )=⃗r × ⃗
F … … … … … .(v )
dt

r⃗ × ⃗
F is called the torque acting on the particle with respect to the force centre. This quantity is zero
since
F =f ( r ) r^ … … … … … … … … .( vi)
⃗

So,

d
( ⃗r × ⃗p )=0∨⃗r × ⃗p=constant … … … … ..(vii)
dt

So the angular momentum of the particle with respect to the force centre is CONSERVED.

The angular momentum of a particle about the force centre is a constant quantity in central force
motion.

The property of the cross product requires that the motion of a particle experiencing a central
force be planar.

The Two-Body Problem and its reduction to a One-Body Problem


[PH303/MECHANICS2/NOTE03/05.08.2009] August 5, 2009

Let us consider a system of two particles with either particle exerting a central force on the other.
Let there be no external forces acting on the system(that is, the system is isolated).

The masses of the particles are m 1 and m 2 and their position vectors with respect to the origin O of
R1 and ⃗
an inertial reference frame are⃗ R2.

We define a quantity called the centre of mass with respect to O of the particles as

m1 ⃗
R1 +m2 ⃗
R2
Rc =
⃗ … … … … … … .(1)
m1 +m2

Differentiating the above equation with respect to t gives

m1 V
⃗1 +m 2 V
⃗2
V c=
⃗ … … … … … … ..(2)
m1 +m 2

Since no external forces are present, the total momentum of the particles which is m 1 V
⃗ 1 +m2 V
⃗2
V c , the velocity of the centre of mass also remains
remains constant throughout the motion. So ⃗
constant throughout the motion and so can be regarded as the origin of an inertial reference frame.

We now study the motion of masses m 1and m 2 with respect to this new origin which is the centre of
mass of the particles.

Let r⃗ 1and r⃗ 2 be the position vectors of masses m 1 and m 2 with respect to the centre of mass.

We have,

r⃗ 1= ⃗
R 1− ⃗
Rc … … … … …..(3 a)

r⃗ 2= ⃗
R 2− ⃗
Rc … … … … … …(3 b)
[PH303/MECHANICS2/NOTE03/05.08.2009] August 5, 2009

And

m1 r⃗ 1+m2 ⃗r 2=0 … … … … … (4)

The equation of motion of particle 1 with respect to the centre of mass is

d 2 ⃗r 1 ⃗
m1 = F 12 =f ( r ) r^ … … … … …(5)
d t2

Where r⃗ =⃗r 1−⃗r 2, r =|⃗r 1−⃗r 2| and f ( r ) is the magnitude of the central force exerted on m 1 by m 2

From equation (4) we have

m1
( )
r⃗ =⃗r 1−⃗r 2= 1+ r⃗ … … … … ..(6)
m2 1

Using equation (6) equation (5) becomes,


2
d r⃗
μ =f ( r ) r^ … … … … … … … … ..(7)
d t2

With

m1 m2
μ= … … … … … … … … … … .(8)
m 1 +m 2

This quantity μ is called the reduced mass.

Equation (7) is identical to equation ( i ) above which is the differential equation for a one-body
problem.

Upon integrating equation (7) twice with respect to t we obtain r⃗ which is the position of mass m 1
with respect to the position of mass m 2. Equations (3a) and (3b) then give us r⃗ 1and r⃗ 2.

The problem of determining r⃗ 1 and r⃗ 2 for a system of two particles interacting through a central
force is called a two-body problem.

But the above analysis shows that r⃗ 1 and r⃗ 2 can be obtained by solving equation (7) which is a
differential equation for a particle of mass μ under the influence of a central force ⃗
F , r⃗ being the
position vector of the particle with respect to the force centre.

So, the two-body problem is reduced to an equivalent one-body problem wherein mass m 1 is
replaced by a mass μ and mass m 2 is replaced by an infinite mass located at the force centre
thereby making the force centre fixed in an inertial frame of reference.

If the central force between the masses m 1 and m 2 is the mutual gravitational force then equation
(7) becomes
[PH303/MECHANICS2/NOTE03/05.08.2009] August 5, 2009

d 2 r⃗ m1 m2
μ 2
=−G 2 r^
dt r

The path of mass m 1 with respect to mass m 2 is a conic section with m 2 as one of the foci.

The path of mass m 2 with respect to mass m 1 is obtained from the differential equation

d 2 r⃗ m1 m2
μ 2
=−G 2 r^
dt r

Where r⃗ =⃗r 2−⃗r 1 and r =|⃗r|. Again, the path of mass m 2 with respect to mass m 1 is a conic section
with m 1 as one of the foci.

TO BE CONTINUED

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