PHYS 203 Princeton University Fall 2006

Final Exam

1. Death Star (20 pt) A particle of mass m is subject to a central force given by the potential
k
V =− 3 ( k > 0)
r

a) What is the effective potential? Make a sketch. Veff

b) Determine the radius of the circular orbit for a particle with angular momentum l. Is the
orbit stable?

∂Veff 3k l2
= − =0
∂t r 4 mr 3
3km
r0 = 2
l
It is clear from the figure that the effective potential has a negative curvature and the
orbit is unstable

c) If the particle is approaching from infinity with energy E, what is the total cross-section
for the particle to fall into the force center?

If the particle gets over the peak of the potential it will spiral into the star. So we need to
find the maximum energy it can have before reaching the top, which is equal to
kl 6 l6 l6 l6 1 l6
E max = Veff (r0 ) = − + = − + =
(3km) 3 2m(3km) 2 27 k 2 m 3 18k 2 m 3 54 k 2 m 3
The angular momentum is related to the impact parameter and the velocity at infinity
l = mbV∞ . Now we can find b,
1/ 6
1 m 3 b 6V∞6 4b 6 E 3 ⎛ 27 k 2 ⎞
E= = ; b = ⎜⎜ 2 ⎟
⎟
54 k 2 27 k 2 ⎝ 4E ⎠
The total cross-section is the area that would be swept out by the star if a uniform stream
of particles was impinging on it:
2/3
⎛ k ⎞
σ tot = πb = 3π ⎜
2
⎟
⎝ 2E ⎠
Now check the dimensions, which work out because k has units (J m3)
2. A string with mass (20 pt) A ball of mass M is suspended from a string of length l which has
a finite mass m. You can assume that M>>m, but their ratio is finite. Consider small
oscillations on the string.

a) What is the general solution y(x,t) for the standing waves on the string?
l
The solution has to satisfy the wave equation, it can be written as
y ( x, t ) = ( A cos( kx ) + B sin( kx )) sin(ωt + φ ) , where A, B and φ are arbitrary
τ Mgl
constants and k and ω are related by k = ω/v, where v = =
λ m

b) What are the boundary condition on y(x,t) at x = 0 and x = l ? M

∂y ∂2 y
y (0, t ) = 0, at x = l : τ = − M 2 which comes from the condition
∂x ∂t
that the tension of the wire times its slope provides the acceleration of the mass.

c) What is the equation for the frequencies of the normal modes on the string? Sketch both
sides of the equation and indicate graphically the solutions.

The boundary condition at x = 0 makes A = 0 in the general solution. The phase φ can be
also set to zero by the shift of the origin of time. To find k we use the boundary condition
at x = l.
τBk cos(kl ) sin(ωt ) = MBω 2 sin(kl ) sin(ωt )
M
cos(kl ) = kl sin(kl )
m
m
= tan( x), where x = kl
xM

d) Show that for M>>m the frequency of the slowest normal mode is equal to the frequency
of the pendulum with a massless string of length l.

For m/M<<1 the intersection of the two curves will happen in a region where tan(x)~x,
m m m g
= x 2 , kl = = ωl , ω=
M M Mgl l
3. Something inside (20 pt) Two heavy pendula of mass m are suspended from strings of
length l inside a railroad car of mass M that can roll freely on horizontal tracks (ignore the
moment of inertia of the wheels).
a) Write down the Lagrangian for the three degrees of freedom in the problem.

x1 = x + l sin θ1 ≈ x + lθ1 l
θ1 l θ2
x2 = x + l sin θ 2 ≈ x + lθ 2 m m
M 2 m m M
T= x& + ( x& + lθ&1 ) 2 + ( x& + lθ&2 ) 2 x
2 2 2
mgl 2 mgl 2
U = mgl (1 − cosθ1 ) + mgl (1 − cosθ1 ) = θ1 − θ 2 + const
2 2
M 2 ml 2 & 2 ml 2 & 2 mgl 2 mgl 2
L = T −U = x& + mx& 2 + mlx&θ&1 + mlx&θ&2 + θ1 + θ2 − θ1 − θ1
2 2 2 2 2
b) Use momentum conservation to eliminate one of the degrees of freedom.
∂L ∂L
= 0, px = = ( M + 2m) x& + ml (θ&1 + θ&2 ) = const . Set this constant to zero in CM frame
∂x ∂x&
ml
x& = − (θ&1 + θ&2 )
M + 2m
m 2l 2 m 2l 2 ml 2 & 2 & 2 mgl 2
L= (θ&1 + θ&2 ) 2 − (θ&1 + θ&2 ) 2 + (θ1 + θ 2 ) − (θ1 + θ 2 )
2

2( M + 2m) ( M + 2 m) 2 2
ml 2 M + m & 2 & 2 m 2l 2 mgl 2
L= (θ1 + θ 2 ) − θ&1θ&2 − (θ1 + θ 2 )
2

2 M + 2m ( M + 2m) 2
c) Find the frequencies of the normal modes.
⎛ M +m m ⎞ M +m
⎜ − ⎟ α=
2⎛ α
⎛ 1 0 ⎞ + + −β⎞ M + 2m
=
A mgl ⎜ ⎜ ⎟
⎟; m = ml 2
⎜ M 2 m M 2 m ⎟ = ml ⎜⎜ ⎟,
⎝ 0 1 ⎠ ⎜ m M + m ⎟ ⎝− β α ⎟⎠ β=
m
⎜− ⎟
⎝ M + 2m M + 2m ⎠ M + 2m
ω 02 − αω 2 βω 2 g
| A − mω 2 |= ml 2 = 0, ω 02 =
βω 2
ω 0 − αω
2 2
l
(ω 2
0 − αω 2 )
2
− β 2ω 4 = 0
ω 04 − 2αω 02ω 2 + α 2ω 4 − β 2ω 4 = 0
(α 2
)
− β 2 ω 4 − 2αω 02ω 2 + ω 04 = 0

ω2 =
( )
2αω 02 ± 4α 2ω 04 − 4 α 2 − β 2 ω 04
=
αω 02 ± βω 02
; ω1 =
ω0
, ω2 =
ω0
(
2α2 −β2 ) (α − β )
2 2
α −β α +β
g M + 2m g
ω1 = , ω2 =
l M l
One can show that ω1 corresponds to in-phase oscillations of the masses and ω2 to out of
phase oscillations.
4. Toy testing at Santa workshop (20 pt) Mass m is attached to a rectangular frame by 4
springs as shown in the figure and is constrained to move in the horizontal plane. The springs
are not stretched in their equilibrium position. As everyone knows, the Santa workshop is
located at the North pole and the Earth is rotating around its axis.

a) Write down the system of differential equations for small oscillations of the mass in the
x-y plane.
k
The forces come from springs and the Coriolis force. It can be
shown that for small oscillations the forces from tilting of the k k
springs are higher order in displacement than the forces from
compression of the springs. m
y k
x
m&x& = −2kx + 2mωy&
m&y& = −2ky − 2mωx&

b) Introduce a variable s = x + iy and combine the two equations. Write down the general
solution for the resulting differential equation.
m&s& = −2ks − 2mωis&
&s& + 2iωs& + 2ω 02 s = 0; ω 02 = k / m
s = Ae r ; r 2 + 2iωr + 2ω 02 = 0
− 2iω ± − 4ω 2 − 8ω 02
r= = −iω ± i 2ω 02 + ω 2
2
s = A exp(−iω + i 2ω 02 + ω 2 ) + B exp(−iω − i 2ω 02 + ω 2 )

c) Can you guess what will be the motion of the mass?

The plane of oscillation of the pendulum will precess with frequency ω similar to the
precession of Foucault pendulum.

5. Oops! (20 pt) Your laptop slid off your deck and after making one complete flip hit a hard
floor. If you are a physics major, your first thought upon discovering that the hard drive no
longer works might be “Did it die before or after hitting the floor?”

a) If the desk is 1 meter high and the dent left on the laptop is 3 mm deep, estimate the
kinematic parameters. How long did it take the laptop to hit the floor? What was its
velocity just before the impact? What was its deceleration (assumed uniform) during
impact with the floor? You can ignore the rotation of the laptop for this part.
2h
h = gt 2 / 2; t f = = 0.45 sec; v0 = gt f = 4.4 m / sec
g
v02 v02 v02 v02
v0 − at im = 0; d = v0 t im − at / 2 =
2
im − = ; a= = 3226 m / sec 2
a 2a 2 a 2d
b) Estimate the forces acting on the bearings during the tumble. The hard drive platter has a
mass of 50 g, diameter of 5 cm, and is
spinning at 7500 rpm (revolutions per 2 mm
minute). The distance between suspension
points is 2 mm. Assume that while falling 5 cm
the laptop made one revolution around an axis parallel to its plane.

Since the rotation angular velocity is much greater than the tumble angular velocity one
can assume that the total angular momentum is parallel to the axis of the disk. The
equation for the torque is applied in the inertial rest frame.

dL mr 2
τ= = ΩL = ΩIω = Ωω
dt 2
2π
Ω= = 14 sec −1
tf
ω = 2π 7500 / 60 = 785 sec −1

τ = 2 F ( d / 2)
mr 2 Ωω
F= = 85 N
2d

c) Which force in the bearings is greater, during the deceleration or during the tumble?

Linear deceleration gives a force on each bearing of 3226 * 0.05 / 2 = 80 N , so the forces
are comparable in size.