Problems for Chapter 8

Homework Assignment: 4, 7, 8, 11, 18, 35, 44

1. In section 8.2, we showed that the motion of two bodies interacting only
with each other by central forces could be reduced to an equivalent one-
body problem. Show by explicit calculation that such a reduction is
also possible for bodies moving in an external uniform gravitational
field.

2. Perform the integration of Equation 8.38 to obtain Equation 8.39.

3. A particle moves in a circular orbit in a force field given by

k
F (r) = −
r2
Show that, if k suddenly decreases to half its original value, the parti-
cle’s orbit becomes parabolic.

4. *Perform an explicit calculation of the time average (i.e., the average

over one complete period) of the potential energy for a particle moving
in an elliptical orbit in a central inverse-square-law force field. Express
the result in terms of the force constant of the field and the semimajor
axis of the ellipse. Perform a similar calculation for the kinetic energy.
Compare the results and thereby verify the virial theorem for this case.

5. Two particles moving under the influence of their mutual gravitational

force describe circular orbits about one another with a period τ . If they
are suddenly stopped in their orbits and allowed to gravitate toward
each other, show that they will collide after a time 4√τ 2 .

6. Two gravitating masses m1 and m2 (m1 + m2 = M ) are separated by

a distance r0 and released from rest. Show that when the separation is
r (< r0 ), the speeds are
s   s  
2G 1 1 2G 1 1
υ1 = m2 − , υ 2 = m1 −
M r r0 M r r0

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 7. *Show that the areal velocity is constant for a particle moving under
the influence of an attractive force given by F (r) = −kr. Calculate the
time averages of the kinetic and potential energies and compare with
the results of the virial theorem.
8. *Investigate the motion of a particle repelled by a force center according
to the law F (r) = kr. Show that the orbit can only be hyperbolic.
9. A communications satellite is in a circular orbit around Earth at radius
R and velocity υ. A rocket accidentally fires quite suddenly, giving the
rocket an outward radial velocity υ in addition to its original velocity.

(a) Calculate the ratio of the new energy and angular momentum to
the old.
(b) Describe the subsequent motion of the satellite and plot T (r),
V (r), U (r), and E (r) after the rocket fires.

10. Assume Earth’s orbit to be circular and that the Sun’s mass suddenly
decreases by half. What orbit does Earth then have? Will Earth escape
the solar system?
11. *A particle moves under the influence of a central force given by F (r) =
− rkn . If the particle’s orbit is circular and passes through the force
center, show that n = 5.
12. Consider a comet moving in a parabolic orbit in the plane of Earth’s
orbit. If the distance of closest approach of the comet to the Sun is
βrE , where rE is the radius of Earth’s (assumed) circular orbit and
where β < 1, show that the time the comet spends within the orbit of
Earth is given by
p 1 + 2β
2 (1 − β) × 1year
3π
If the comet approaches the Sun to the distance of the perihelion of
Mercury, how many days is it within Earth’s orbit?
13. Discuss the motion of a particle in a central inverse-square-law force
field for a superimposed force whose magnitude is inversely proportional
to the cube of the distance from the particle to the force center; that
is,
k λ
F (r) = − 2 − 3 k, λ > 0
r r
2
 Show that the motion is described by a precessing ellipse. Consider the
2 2 2
cases λ < `µ , λ = `µ , and λ > `µ .
14. Find the force law for a central-force field that allows a particle to move
in a spiral orbit given by r = kθ2 , where k is a constant.
15. A particle of unit mass moves from infinity along√ a straight line that,
if continued, would allow it to pass a distance b 2 from a point P . If
the particle is attracted toward P with a force
√
varying as rk5 , and if the
angular momentum about the point P is bk , show that the trajectory
is given by  
θ
r = b Coth √
2
16. A particle executes elliptical (but almost circular) motion about a force
center. At some point in the orbit a tangential impulse is applied to
the particle, changing the velocity from υ to υ + δυ. Show that the
resulting relative change in the major and minor axes of the orbit is
twice the relative change in the velocity and that the axes are increased
if δυ > 0.
17. A particle moves in an elliptical orbit in an inverse-square-law central-
force field. If the ratio of the maximum angular velocity to the mini-
mum angular velocity of the particle in its orbit is n, then show that
the eccentricity of the orbit is
√
n−1
e= √
n+1

18. *Use Kepler’s results (i.e., his first and second laws) to show that the
gravitational force must be central and that the radial dependence must
be r12 . Thus, perform an inductive derivation of the gravitational force
law.
19. Calculate the missing entries denoted by c in Table 8-1.
20. For a particle moving in an elliptical orbit with semimajor axis a and
eccentricity e, show that
  
a 4 e
cos θ = 5
r (1 − e2 ) 2

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 where the angular brackets denote a time average over one complete
period.

21. Consider the family of orbits in a central potential for which the total
energy is a constant. Show that if a stable circular orbit exists, the
angular momentum associated with this orbit is larger than that for
any other orbit of the family.

22. Discuss the motion of a particle moving in an attractive central-force

field described by F (r) = − rk3 . Sketch some of the orbits for different
values of the total energy. Can a circular orbit be stable in such a force
field?

23. An Earth satellite moves in an elliptical orbit with a period τ , eccen-

tricity e, and semimajor axis a. Show that the maximum radial velocity
of the satellite is τ √2πae
1−e2
.

24. An Earth satellite has a perigee of 300 km and an apogee of 3, 500 km

above Earth’s surface. How far is the satellite above Earth when

(a) it has rotated 90◦ around Earth from perigee and

(b) it has moved halfway from perigee to apogee?

25. An Earth satellite has a speed of 28, 070 km/hr when it is at its perigee
of 220 km above Earth’s surface. Find the apogee distance, its speed
at apogee, and its period of revolution.

26. Show that the most efficient way to change the energy of an elliptical
orbit for a single short engine thrust is by firing the rocket along the
direction of travel at perigee.

27. A spacecraft in an orbit about Earth has the speed of 10, 160 m/s
at a perigee of 6, 680 km from Earth’s center. What speed does the
spacecraft have at apogee of 42, 200 km?

28. What is the minimum escape velocity of a spacecraft from the moon?

29. The minimum and maximum velocities of a moon rotating around

Uranus are υmin = υ − υ0 and υmax = υ + υ0 . Find the eccentricity
in terms of υ and υ0 .

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30. A spacecraft is placed in orbit 200 km above Earth in a circular orbit.
Calculate the minimum escape speed from Earth. Sketch the escape
trajectory, showing Earth and the circular orbit. What is the space-
craft’s trajectory with respect to Earth?

31. Consider a force law of the form

k k0
F (r) = − −
r2 r4
Show that if ρ2 k > k 0 , then a particle can move in a stable circular
orbit at r = ρ.

32. Consider a force law of the form F (r) = − rk2 exp − ar . Investigate the

stability of circular orbits in this force field.

33. Consider a particle of mass m constrained to move on the surface of a

paraboloid whose equation (in cylindrical coordinates) is r2 = 4az. If
the particle is subject to a gravitational force, show that the√frequency
of small oscillations about a circular orbit with radius ρ = 4az0 is
r
2g
ω=
a + z0

34. Consider the problem of the particle moving on the surface of a cone,
as discussed in Examples 7.4 and 8.7. Show that the effective potential
is
`2
V (r) = + mgr cot α
2mr2
(Note that here r is the radial distance in cylindrical coordinates, not
spherical coordinates; see Figure 7-2.) Show that the turning points
of the motion can be found from the solution of a cubic equation in r.
Show further that only two of the roots are physically meaningful, so
that the motion is confined to lie within two horizontal planes that cut
the cone.

35. *An almost circular orbit (i.e., e  1) can be considered to be a cir-

cular orbit to which a small perturbation has been
q applied. Then, the
3g(ρ)
frequency of the radial motion is given by ω0 = ρ
+ g 0 (ρ) where
g (r) = − F µ(r) and ρ is the radius of the circular orbit. Consider a case

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 in which the force law is F (r) = − rkn (where n is an integer), and show
π
that the apsidal angle is √3−n . Thus, show that a closed orbit generally
results only for the harmonic oscillator force and the inverse-square-law
force (if values of n equal to or smaller than −6 are excluded).
36. A particle moves in an
almost circular orbit in a force field described by
F (r) = − rk2 exp − ar . Show that the apsides advance by an amount
approximately equal to πρ a
in each revolution, where ρ is the radius of
the circular orbit and where ρ  a.
37. A communication satellite is in a circular orbit around Earth at a dis-
tance above Earth equal to Earth’s radius. Find the minimum velocity
∆υ required to double the height of the satellite and put it in another
circular orbit.
38. Calculate the minimum ∆υ required to place a satellite already in
Earth’s heliocentric orbit (assumed circular) into the orbit of Venus
(also assumed circular and coplanar with Earth). Consider only the
gravitational attraction of the Sun. What time of flight would such a
trip take?
39. Assuming a rocket engine can be fired only once from a low Earth orbit,
does a Mars flyby or a Venus flyby require a larger ∆υ? Explain.
40. A spacecraft is being designed to dispose of nuclear waste either by
carrying it out of the solar system or crashing into the Sun. Assume
that no planetary flybys are permitted and that thrusts occur only in
the orbital plane. Which mission requires the least energy? Explain.
41. A spacecraft is parked in a circular orbit 200 km above Earth’s surface.
We want to use a Hohmann transfer to send the spacecraft to the
Moon’s orbit. What are the total ∆υ and the transfer time required?
42. A spacecraft of mass 10, 000 kg is parked in a circular orbit 200 km
above Earth’s surface. What is the minimum energy required (neglect
the fuel mass burned) to place the satellite in a synchronous orbit (i.e.,
T = 24 hr)?
43. A satellite is moving in circular orbit of radius R about Earth. By
what fraction must its velocity υ be increased for the satellite to be in
an elliptical orbit with rmin = R and rmax = 2R?

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44. *The Yukawa potential adds an exponential term to the long-range
Coulomb potential, which greatly shortens the range of the Coulomb
potential. It has great usefulness in atomic and nuclear calculations.
 
V0 r0 r k  r
V (r) = exp − = − exp −
r r0 r a

Find a particle’s trajectory in a bound orbit of the Yukawa potential

to first order in r/a.

45. A particle of mass m moves in a central force field that has a constant
magnitude F0 , but always points toward the origin.

(a) Find the angular velocity ωφ , required for the particle to move in
a circular orbit of radius r0 .
(b) Find the frequency ωr , of small radial oscillations about the cir-
cular orbit. Both answers should be in terms of F0 , m, and r0 .

46. Two double stars of the same mass as the sun rotate about their com-
mon center of mass. Their separation is 4 light years. What is their
period of revolution?

47. Two double stars, one having mass 1.0 Msun and the other 3.0 Msun ,
rotate about their common center of mass. Their separation is 6 light
years. What is their period of revolution?