ASSIGNMENT-III

PH 201 CLASSICAL MECHANICS

FULL MARKS: 110
GIVEN DATE: 25/10/16
DUE DATE: 08/11/16

(1) Consider a small spherical ball (of uniform mass density) rolling back and forth due
to gravity near the bottom of a circular track with radius R. If the ball rolls without
slipping, calculate the time period of small oscillations.
4
(2) Consider a pendulum consisting of a mass m hanging from another mass M by a
string, where M is only able to move horizontally (i.e., along x), while m can move
in the xz plane under the action of gravity. Write down the equations of motion for
both masses, and then find the frequency of small oscillations. Show that one gets
the expected result in the limit M/m .
2+2+3+1
(3) Find all the frequencies and the corresponding eigenvectors for small oscillations of
the following systems.
(i) Three particles lie in a straight line, the central particle has mass M , the
two particles on the sides have mass m each, and there are two springs of length a
joining the central particle with the side particles.
(ii) A tri-atomic molecule in a plane in which the atoms (mass m each) lie at the
corners of an equilateral triangle of side a, and they are joined pair-wise by springs.
In all these systems, assume that the unstretched length of each of the springs
is equal to a and the spring constant is k.
5+5
(4) A piston of mass m divides a cubical box of length l into two equal parts; both the
parts of the box contain an ideal gas with pressure P . Suppose that the piston is
displaced slightly to one side by a distance x and then let go. Find the frequency
of the oscillations of the piston, if the process takes place
(i) at constant temperature (P V is a constant),
(ii) adiabatically (P V is a constant).
3+3
(5) Virial theorem: Consider a Hamiltonian of the form H = T (pi ) + V (qi ), where
T (pi ) is homogeneous in the pi with degree 2, while V (qi ) is homogeneous in the
qi with degree n. [We say that a function f (xi ) is homogeneous
in the variables
P
n
xi with degree n if f (xi ) = f (xi ). This implies that i xi f /xi = nf ]. If
the system is undergoing a motion which is periodic in time, show that the time
1

2 PH 201 CLASSICAL MECHANICS FULL MARKS: 110 GIVEN DATE: 25/10/16 DUE DATE: 08/11/16

averaged values < T > and < V > satisfy

n
2
<T >=
E and < V > =
E,
n+2
n+2
where E = T + V is the energy of the system. [The
R time averaged value of a
function g(t) is defined to be < gP
> = lim (1/ ) 0 dt g(t)].
Hint: Consider the function G = i pi qi . Show that dG/dt = 2T nV . For periodic
motion, show that < dG/dt >= 0. Then prove the virial theorem.
4+3+2+2
(6) Consider a Lagrangian involving several coordinates, L(qi , qi ), and a dissipation
function F (qi ) which is P
homogeneous in the qi with degree 2. Show that the Hamiltonian defined as H = i pi qi L satisfies dH/dt = 2F .
4
(7) For a particle moving in a central potential V = /r2 , show that the scattering
angle s is related to the impact parameter b and the speed at infinity v by
i
h
b
.
s = 1 2
2 1/2
(b + mv
2 )

Hence show that the differential cross-section is given by

2 2
s
1
d
=
.
2
2
2
d
mv s (2 s ) sin s
4+4
(8) A particle is moving in a circular orbit of radius r0 in the presence of a central
potential of the form V (r) = /r + /r3 , where > 0 and is very small. At
some instant, the particle is suddenly given an impulse in the tangential direction;
hence its angular momentum changes by a small amount, but its distance from the
origin remains the same at that instant. Show that the particle then continues to
have a periodic motion in the angular direction as before, but that it undergoes
small oscillations in the radial direction (about a new radius). Compute the ratio of
the radial and angular frequencies, and use that to compute the rate of precession
of the perihelion to first order in .
Your answer should be expressed in terms of , and r0 .
3+3+3
(9) A particle of mass m is moving in a circle of radius R in the presence of a central
potential whose origin lies on the circumference of the circle.
What is the form of the potential V (r)? What is the total energy of the particle,
assuming that V (r = ) = 0? Find the time period of the motion in terms of the
orbital angular momentum, R and m.
3+2+3
(10) Focaults pendulum: Consider a simple pendulum suspended vertically over the
north pole and undergoing small oscillations in the x y plane. Assume that the

ASSIGNMENT-III

pendulums oscillation frequency 0 is much larger than the Earths rotation frequency , and the pendulums length is much smaller than the Earths radius. Find
the general solution of the equations of motion of the pendulum in a frame fixed to
the Earth. Then show that a particular solution corresponds to the pendulum oscillating along a direction which slowly rotates with the frequency .
4+3
(11) Consider a force per unit mass corresponding to a potential of the form

(r2 2 r + 1)2
,
F = 3
r ( r(r 2) + 1)2
in a specific choice of units. Obtain the marginally stable circular orbit and the
energy at the marginally stable circular orbit of a particle moving in that force
field with angular momentum per unit mass l. Will F diverge at r > 0? If it does,
where?
5+3+3
(12) Consider the following potential with and without angular momentum: V (r) =
a1 r2 + a2 r4 . Consider two cases: (a) a1 > 0 and (b) a1 < 0. Draw the potential
diagram in both the cases when the system has angular momentum and also when
it does not have angular momentum. Consider various cases of (total) energy of
the system and discuss the cases when the potential is bounding in all the four
different forms of the potential.
4+4+4+4
(13) Precession of perihelion: Suppose that there is a small correction to Newtons law
of gravitation, so that the potential energy of a two-particle system is given by
GM m

V (r) =
+ 2 .
r
r
Show that the shape of the orbit is described by
a
2 1/2
= 1 +  cos[ (1 +
)
( 0 ) ] ,
r
L2
where = M m/(M + m) and L is the angular momentum.
If we assume that  L2 , show that the direction of the perihelion shifts by an
angle which is equal to 2/L2 after each of the revolutions. Hence the rate of precession of the perihelion is given by 2/(L2 T ), where T is the time period of revolution.
4+4