July 21, 2003

PHYSICS 44 MECHANICS
Homework Assignment II
SOLUTION
Problem 1
A cart of mass M is placed on rails and attached to a wall with the help of a massless
spring with constant k (as shown in the Figure below); the spring is in its equilibrium state
when the cart is at a distance x0 from the wall. A pendulum of mass m and length ` is
attached to the cart (as shown).

_ for the cart-pendulum system, where x denotes the

(a) Write the Lagrangian L(x; x;
_ ; )
position of the cart (as measured from a suitable origin) and denotes the angular position
of the pendulum.
(b) From your Lagrangian, write the Euler-Lagrange equations for the generalized coordinates x and .
Solution
(a) Using the generalized coordinates x (the displacement of the cart from the equilibrium
point of the spring) and (the displacement of the pendulum from the vertical) shown in
the Figure, the coordinates of the cart are xM = x and yM = 0 while the coordinates of
the pendulum are xm = x + ` sin and ym = ` cos and thus the squared velocities are
2
v2M = x_ 2M + y_ M
= x_ 2
2
v2m = x_ 2m + y_ m
= (x_ + ` _ cos )2 + (` _ sin )2
= x_ 2 + `2 _ 2 + 2 ` x_ _ cos :

The expression for the kinetic energy of the cart-pendulum system is therefore
K = (m + M )

x_ 2
_ 2
+ m `2
+ m ` x_ _ cos :
2
2

The potential energy U of the cart-pendulum system is broken into two parts: the
gravitational potential energy mg` cos of the pendulum and the elastic potential energy
k x2=2 stored in the spring. The Lagrangian L = K U of the cart-pendulum system is
therefore
2
_2

_ = (m + M) x_ + m `2 + m ` cos x_ _ + g k x2 :
L(x; x;
_ ; )
2
2
2

(b) The Euler-Lagrange equation for x is

@L
= (m + M) x_ + m` _ cos !
@
x
_

d @L
= (m + M) x + m` cos _ 2 sin
dt @ x_
@L
= kx
@x
or

(m + M ) x + m` cos _ 2 sin

+ kx = 0

The Euler-Lagrange equation for is

@L
= m ` ` _ + x_ cos !
_
@
!

d @L
= m ` ` + x cos x_ _ sin
dt @ _
@L
= m ` x_ _ sin mg` sin
@

or

` + x cos + g sin = 0

Problem 2
Show that the two Lagrangians
_ t) = L(q; q;
_ t) +
_ t) and L0(q; q;
L(q; q;

dF (q; t)
;
dt

where F (q; t) is an arbitrary function of the generalized coordinates q(t), yield the same
Euler-Lagrange equations. Hence, two Lagrangians which dier only by an exact time
derivative are said to be equivalent.
Solution
We call L0 = L + dF=dt the new Lagrangian and L the old Lagrangian. The EulerLagrange equations for the new Lagrangian are
d
dt
where

@ L0
@ q_i

@ L0
;
@qi

X j @F
dF (q; t)
@F
=
+
q_
:
dt
@t
@qj
j

Let us begin with

0

X
@L0
@ @
@F
@F
@L
@F
=
L
+
+
q_ j j A =
+
;
i
i
i
@ q_
@ q_
@t
@q
@ q_
@q i
j

so that

d
dt

@L0
@ q_i

d @L
=
dt @ q_ i

2
X
@ 2F
k @ F
+
q
_
:
@t@q i
@qk @q i
k

Next, we nd
0

2
X
X
@L0
@
@F
@L
@2 F
j @F A
j @ F
@L +
=
+
q
_
=
+
+
q
_
:
@qi
@qi
@t
@qj
@q i
@q i@t
@ qi @qj
j
j

Using the symmetry properties

q_ j

2
@ 2F
j @ F
=
q
_
@qi @qj
@q j @qi

we easily verify
d
dt

@L0
@ q_i

and

@L0
d

=
@q i
dt

@L
@ q_i

@ 2F
@ 2F
=
;
@t@q i
@ qi @t
!

@L
= 0;
@q i

and thus since L and L0 = L + dF=dt lead to the same Euler-Lagrange equations, they are
said to be equivalent.

Problem 3
An Atwood machine is composed of two masses m and M attached by means of a
massless rope into which a massless spring (with constant k) is inserted (as shown in the
Figure below). When the spring is in a relaxed state, the spring-rope length is `.

(a) Find suitable generalized coordinates to describe the motion of the two masses (allowing
for elongation or compression of the spring).
(b) Using these generalized coordinates, construct the Lagrangian and derive the appropriate Euler-Lagrange equations.
Solution
(a) The Figure below shows a suitable set of generalized coordinates

where x denotes the distance of mass M from the top of the pulley, ` x denotes the
distance of the equilibrium point of the spring from the top of the pulley, and y denotes
the distance of mass m from the equilibrium point of the spring (i.e., its elongation).

(b) Using the generalized coordinates (x; y), the coordinate of mass M is xM = x while the
coordinate of mass m is xm = ` x + y and thus the squared velocities are
_ 2:
v2M = x_ 2 and v2m = (y_ x)
The expression for the kinetic energy of the system is therefore
K = (m + M )

x_ 2
y_ 2
+ m
m x_ y:
_
2
2

The potential energy U of the system is broken into two parts: the gravitational potential energy M gx mg(y x) and the elastic potential energy k y2=2 stored in the spring.
The Lagrangian L = K U of the system is therefore
L(x; x;
_ y; y)
_ = (m + M )

x_ 2
y_ 2
k 2
+ m
m x_ y_ + (M m)g x + mg y
y:
2
2
2

(c) The Euler-Lagrange equation for x is

@L
d
= (m + M) x_ m y_ !
@ x_
dt

@L
= (m + M) x m y
@ x_
@L
= (M m) g
@x

or

(m + M) x m y = (M m) g

The Euler-Lagrange equation for y is

@L
d
= m (y_ x)
_ !
@ y_
dt

@L
= m (
y x)
@ y_
@L
= mg ky
@x

or

m (
y x) + k y = m g