MA344 Assess2 Sols

MA344 Applications of Mathematics
2016-2017
Second assessment
1. The harmonic oscillations of a spring-mass system subject to an external force are described
by the initial value problem
10
ÿ + 144y = 15 cos(3t), y(0) = , ẏ(0) = 0.
9
(a) Find the solution of the above initial value problem in two steps.
• Firstly construct the general solution of the above differential equation.
• Then determine the constants of integration by using the given initial conditions.
(b) What is the period of these harmonic oscillations?
(c) Using the solution you found, determine if this is a stable or unstable motion.
Solution.
For the general solution of the equation, we compute the general solution of the homogeneous
equation
ÿ + 144y = 0.
We form the characteristic equation λ2 +144 = 0 and then we find its roots. In this case it has
two imaginary roots, λ± = ± 12 i. Finally we write the general solution of the homogeneous
equation (the complementary function) as
yc (t) = a cos (12t) + b sin (12t) ,
where a and b are constants.

Then we find a particular solution of the equation. Since it involves a function which does not
appear in the complementary function and its derivatives generate only a finite number of
additional functions (actually just one), we make the ansatz that yp (t) = α cos(3t)+β sin(3t).
Substituting back into the equation we find
−9 α cos(3t) − 9 β sin(3t) + 144α cos(3t) + 144β sin(3t) = 15 cos(3t)
or
135 α cos(3t) + 135 β sin(3t) = 15 cos(3t),
1
which implies that α = 9
and β = 0. Hence the particular solution is
1
yp (t) = cos(3t).
9
1
Thus the general solution is
1
y(t) = a cos (12t) + b sin (12t) + cos(3t).
9
We can now determine the constants by employing the given initial conditions.
10 1
y(0) = =a+ ⇒ a = 1.
9 9
In order to use the second initial condition we need the derivative of the general solution:
1
ẏ(t) = −12a sin (12t) + 12b cos (12t) − sin(3t).
3
And now we have
ẏ(0) = 0 = 12b ⇒ b = 0.
Hence the solution to the initial value problem is
1
y(t) = cos (12t) + cos(3t).
9
The period of this motion is T = 2π/3 which is the period of the second term (the period of
first cosine term is π/6). Moreover as it is a combination of two oscillations, the amplitude of
the oscillation cannot exceed 10/9 which is the sum of the (absolute value of the) coefficients
of the two terms in the solution. Since the amplitude is finite, it is a stable motion.
1.0
0.5
1 2 3 4
-0.5
-1.0
The plot of the solution for 0 ≤ t ≤ 2T . The blue curve is the position for 0 ≤ t ≤ T which
then repeats itself (red curve) for T ≤ t ≤ 2T .
2
2. A central force acting on a particle of mass m = 1 kg is given by
1
F = − 3 êr .
r
(a) Use polar coordinates to write the equations of motion for the particle.
(b) Determine r and θ as functions of t subject to the initial conditions r(0) = 1, ṙ(0) = 5,
θ(0) = 0 and θ̇(0) = 1.
(c) Find the equation of the trajectory of the particle.
Solution.
Using the equations given in the lecture notes, the equations of motion are
h2 1 h
r̈ − = − 3 , θ̇ = 2 , h ∈ R.
r 3 r r
We can determine the constant h by using the second equation and the given initial condi-
tions. Indeed. At t = 0, the second equation becomes
h h
θ̇(0) = 2 ⇒ 1= ⇒ h = 1.
r (0) 1
In view of this, the equations of motion can be simplified further to
1
r̈ = 0, θ̇ = 2 .
r
The first equation can be easily integrated twice to find that r(t) = a t + b, where a and b
are constants of integration. They can be determined by employing the initial conditions
which imply that
r(0) = 1 = b, ṙ(0) = a = 5.
Hence,
r(t) = 5t + 1.
Now the second equation becomes
1 1 1
θ̇ = ⇒ θ(t) = − + c,
(5t + 1)2 5 5t + 1
where c is another constant of integration. Since θ(0) = 0, it follows that
1 1
θ(0) = 0 = − + c ⇒ c = .
5 5
Substituting back into the solution and after simplification we conclude that
t
θ(t) = .
5t + 1
To find the trajectory of the particle we must eliminate t from the equations for r and θ.
Since r = 5t + 1, the equation for θ becomes θ = t/r, or t = r θ. Substituting back into the
equation for r, we find that
1
r= .
1 − 5θ

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MA344 Applications of Mathematics

yc (t) = a cos (12t) + b sin (12t) ,

where a and b are constants.

−9 α cos(3t) − 9 β sin(3t) + 144α cos(3t) + 144β sin(3t) = 15 cos(3t)

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