Dynamics 2
Dynamics 2
Dynamics 2
1. Say a projectile of mass m is shot at time t = 0 from the origin with speed V at an angle α to the horizontal.
Throughout the motion the particle is acted on by gravity so that d2 y/dt2 = −g.
(i) Write down the initial conditions x(0), y(0), x′ (0), y ′ (0).
(ii) Determine the particle’s position vector (x(t), y(t)) at time t.
(iii) Determine where the projectile lands (returns to ground level y = 0).
(iv) What value of α maximises the distance travelled?
(v) Show that
2 2
1 dx dy 1
m + + mgy = mV 2
2 dt dt 2
throughout the motion.
2. If a spring,with spring constant α, is stretched by an extension x, Hooke’s Law states that the force on the particle
has magnitude α |x| towards the equilibrium. Thus whether the extension x is positive (an extension) or negative (a
compression) Newton’s Second Law gives
d2 x
m 2 = −αx.
dt
Show that the general solution of this equation is
x(t) = A cos ωt + B sin ωt,
for constants A and B, and where ω 2 = α/m. Show that
2
1 dx 1
m + αx2 = E
2 dt 2
is constant throughout the motion. What does the quantity 12 αx2 represent?
3. Say that the particle and spring in Question 2 lie on a rough table, so that there is a resistant frictional force of
magnitude µmg (coefficient of friction µ) when the particle is in motion and we have
d2 x
m = −αx + µmg when x 0.
dt2
Say that we have initially x(0) = ε > 0 and x′ (0) = 0. What happens if µ αε/(mg)? Show that if
εα εα
<µ<
2mg mg
then the particle comes to rest before its normal equilibrium position, and find the value of x where this occurs.
Show that 2
1 dx 1 1
m + αx2 = αε2 + µmg(x − ε),
2 dt 2 2
throughout the motion and explain the significance of the terms in this identity.
4. Consider a mass m at the end of a light inextensible rod of length l making small swings under gravity; let θ denote
the angle the rod makes with the vertical.
(i) Note that r = (l sin θ, −l cos θ). What do dr/dt and d2 r/dt2 equal?
(ii) Use Newton’s Second Law to show that
d2 θ
l = −g sin θ,
dt2
and find an expression for the tension in the rod.
(iii) Show throughout the motion that 21 ml2 (dθ/dt)2 − mgl cos θ = E is constant.
(iv) Say that the pendulum’s oscillations
are small enough that the approximation sin θ ≈ θ applies. Show that the
pendulum’s swings have period 2π l/g.
(v) More generally if the particle starts off with θ = α, dθ/dt = 0, show that the oscillations have exact period
α
l dθ
4 √ .
2g 0 cos θ − cos α