Physics 451 Fall 2004

Homework Assignment #12 — Solutions

Textbook problems: Ch. 8: 8.2.2, 8.2.5, 8.2.6, 8.2.10, 8.2.16

Chapter 8

8.2.2 The Laplace transform of Bessel’s equation (n = 0) leads to

(s2 + 1)f 0 (s) + sf (s) = 0

Solve for f (s)

This equation is amenable to separation of variables

Z Z
df s df s
=− 2 ds ⇒ =− 2
ds
f s +1 f s +1
⇒ ln f = − 12 ln(s2 + 1) + c

Exponentiating this and redefining the consant, we obtain

C
f (x) = √
s2 + 1

8.2.5 A boat, coasting through the water, experiences a resisting force proportional to v n ,
v being the instantaneous velocity of the boat. Newton’s second law leads to

dv
m = −kv n
dt

With v(t = 0) = v0 , x(t = 0) = 0, integrate to find v as a function of time and then

the distance.

This equation is separable

dv k
n
= − dt
v m
For n 6= 1, this may be integrated to give
v t
dv 0
Z Z  
k 0 1 1 1 k
0n
=− dt ⇒ − n−1
− n−1 = − t
v0 v m 0 n−1 v v0 m
 −1/(n−1) (1)
−(n−1) (n − 1)k
⇒ v(t) = v0 + t
m
This may be integrated once more to obtain x as a function of t
Z t Z t −1/(n−1)
0 0 −(n−1) (n − 1)k 0
x(t) = v(t )dt = v0 + t dt0
0 0 m
Although this may look somewhat scary, it is in fact trivial to integrate, as it is
essentially t0 (plus a constant) to some fractional power. The only difficulty is
bookkeeping the various constants. For n 6= 2, the result is
 1−1/(n−1) t
1 m −(n−1) (n − 1)k 0
x(t) = v0 + t

1 − 1/(n − 1) (n − 1)k m


0 (2)
" (n−2)/(n−1) #
m −(n−1) (n − 1)k −(n−2)
= v0 + t − v0
(n − 2)k m

If desired, the position and velocity, (2) and (1) may be rewritten as
" (n−2)/(n−1) #
m (n − 1)kv0n−1
x(t) = 1+ t −1
(n − 2)kv0n−2 m
−1/(n−1)
(n − 1)kv0n−1

v(t) = v0 1 + t
m
As a result, it is possible to eliminate t and obtain the velocity as a function of
position
−1/(n−2)
(n − 2)kv0n−2 x

v = v0 1 + (3)
m
Note that we may define
m
xk =
(n − 2)kv0n−2
which represents a length scale related to the resisting force and initial velocity.
In terms of xk , the velocity and position relation may be given as
 −1/(n−2)  v n−2
v x 0 x
= 1+ or =1+
v0 xk v xk
Note that, in fact, it is possible to obtain (3) directly from Newton’s second law
by rewriting it as
dv k k
= − v dt = − dx
v n−1 m m
and then integrating
Z v
dv 0 k x 0
Z  
1 1 1 k
0n−1
=− dx ⇒ − n−2
− n−2 = − x
v0 v m 0 n−2 v v0 m
 v n−2
0 (n − 2)kv0n−2
⇒ =1+ x
v m
 So far, what we have done does not apply to the special cases n = 1 or n = 2.
For n = 1, we have
 
dv k v k
= − dt ⇒ ln =− t ⇒ v(t) = v0 e−(k/m)t
v m v0 m

Integrating once more yields

mv0 v kx
x(t) = (1 − e−(k/m)t ) ⇒ =1−
k v0 mv0

which is in fact consistent with setting n = 1 in (3).

For n = 2, we have

dv k 1 1 k v0
2
= − dt ⇒ − + =− t ⇒ v(t) =
v m v v0 m 1 + (kv0 /m)t

Integrating this for position yields

 
m kv0 kx v 
0
x(t) = ln 1 + t ⇒ = ln
k m m v

8.2.6 In the first-order differential equation dy/dx = f (x, y) the function f (x, y) is a function
of the ratio y/x:
dy y
=g
dx x
Show that the substitution of u = y/x leads to a separable equation in u and x.

If we let u = y/x, this means that y = xu. So, by the product rule

dy du
=x +u
dx dx
The above differential equation now becomes

du du dx
x + u(x) = g(u) ⇒ =
dx g(u) − u x

which is separated in u and x.

8.2.10 A certain differential equation has the form

f (x)dx + g(x)h(y)dy = 0

with none of the functions f (x), g(x), h(y) identically zero. Show that a necessary
and sufficient condition for this equation to be exact is that g(x) = const.
 The check for exactness is
∂ ∂
f (x) = (g(x)h(y))
∂y ∂x
or
dg(x)
0= h(y)
dx
Since h(y) is not identically zero, we may divide out by h(y) (at least in any
domain away from isolated zeros of h), leading to dg(x)/dx = 0, which indicates
that g(x) must be constant.

8.2.16 Bernoulli’s equation

dy
+ f (x)y = g(x)y n
dx
is nonlinear for n 6= 0 or 1. Show that the substitution u = y 1−n reduces Bernoulli’s
equation to a linear equation.

For n 6= 1, the substitution u = y 1−n is equivalent to y = u1/(1−n) . Thus

dy 1 du 1 du
= u1/(1−n)−1 = un/(1−n)
dx 1−n dx 1−n dx

Bernoulli’s equation then becomes

1 du
un/(1−n) + f (x)u1/(1−n) = g(x)un/(1−n)
1−n dx

Multiplying by u−n/(1−n) gives

1 du
+ f (x)u = g(x)
1 − n dx
or
du
+ (1 − n)f (x)u = (1 − n)g(x)
dx