PROBLEM SET I

1. Constraint Forces

(1) An incline of mass M and angle α rests on a smooth horizontal surface. A block of mass m slides

frictionlessly down the incline. Find the horizontal acceleration A of the incline using the method of

Lagrange multipliers.

(2) (Rana and Joag, Ch. 1) A particle of mass m is constrained to move on a vertical helix of radius

a and pitch 2πb. The position of the mass on the helix can be parametrized as r(λ) = a cos λ î +

a sin λ ĵ + 2πb k̂. Find the constraint forces and the explicit solution to the equations of motion using

both the method of Lagrange multipliers as well as the principle of virtual work.

(3) (Goldstein, Ch. 1) Two wheels of radius a are connected by an axle of length b and placed on a

smooth horizontal plane. The wheels are free to rotate independently (When the wheels rotate at

the same speed, the axle moves forward in a straight line; otherwise if one wheel rotates faster than

the other, then the axle makes a turn).

Show that there are two non-holonomic equations of constraint

cos θ dx + sin θ dy = 0, sin θ dx − cos θ dy = a (dϕ1 + dϕ2 ) , (1)

and one holonomic equation of constraint

a
dθ = − (dϕ1 − dϕ2 ) . (2)
b

Date: September 15, 2023.

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2 PROBLEM SET I

2. The Lagrangian Formalism

(1) Show that the Lagrange equations are unchanged under a point transformation i.e. under a change

of coordinates {q1 , . . . , qn } → {Q1 , . . . , Qn } where

Q1 = Q1 (q1 , . . . , qn , t) ,
.. ..
. . (3)

Qn = Qn (q1 , . . . , qn , t) ,

show that the new equations of motion are given by

!
d ∂L ∂L
− = 0, j = 1, . . . , n. (4)
dt ∂ Q̇j ∂Qj

(2) A double pendulum consists of a pendulum of mass m1 and length l1 , and a second pendulum of

mass m2 , length l2 that is attached to the first mass. Both masses are free to move in the vertical

plane.

(i) Write down the Lagrangian for the system and find the equations of motion.

(ii) Specialize to the case l1 = l2 , m1 = m2 and find all the conserved quantities.

(3) (Goldstein, Ch. 2) A heavy particle is placed on top of a vertical hoop. Calculate the reaction of the

hoop on the particle by means of the Lagrange multipliers and the Lagrange equations. Find the

height at which the particle falls off.

(4) The Lagrangian of a top of mass M rotating on a horizontal surface in a uniform gravitational field

is given by
Ix  2  I  2
z
L= θ̇ + ϕ̇2 sin2 θ + ψ̇ + ϕ̇ cos θ − M gl cos θ, (5)
2 2
where ϕ and ψ are angular variables and θ is the angle made by the top’s symmetry axis (the z axis)

with the vertical. Iz and Ix are the top’s moments of inertia about its z and x axes and l is the

height of the top’s centre of gravity above the horizontal surface when the top is vertical. Find the

equations of motion and all possible first integrals of the motion.

 PROBLEM SET I 3

(5) The Lagrangian for a particle of charge q, mass m moving in an external electromagnetic field is

given by
1
L= mv2 + qv · A(t, r) − qϕ(t, r),
2
where ϕ(t, r) and A(t, r) are the scalar and vector potentials. Verify that this Lagrangian leads to

the correct equation of motion i.e. mv̇ = q (E + v × B), where E(t, r) and B(t, r) are the electric

and magnetic fields.

3. Central Forces

(1) Calculate the scattering cross section for an attractive Coulomb potential V (r) = −qα qN /4πε0 r.

(2) (Goldstein, Ch. 4) Consider a particle of mass m and charge q moving in the field of a magnetic

monopole B = gr̂/r2 and a central force field V (r) = −k/r. Prove that D = r × mṙ − qgr̂ is

conserved i.e. prove that Ḋ = 0.

(3) (Rana and Joag, Ch. 4) Consider a Keplerian two body system having unequal masses. Set up

the Lagrangian of the system with respect to the centre of mass frame. Show that both particles

describe respective conic sections but with identical eccentricity. Find the share of energy and angular

momentum of each particle.

(4) (Goldstein, Ch. 4) Two planets moving around their common centre of mass in circular orbits with

a common period τ suddenly stop and fall towards each other. Prove that they will collide in a time
√
τ /4 2.

(5) Let v = vr r̂ + vθ θ̂ be the velocity of a planet in a Keplerian orbit. Prove that

s s

K 1 − e2 a
 
He sin θ K 2 1
vr = =
e sin θ, vθ = , and |v|2 = K − . (6)
p a 1 − e2 a r r a

(6) Verify the virial theorem for a Keplerian orbit i.e. calculate T = mv 2 /2 and V = −mk/r, where
p
τ = 2π a3 /k is the period of the orbit and
Z τ
1
a = p 1 − e2 ,


X= dt X(t), k = G (M + mp ) , (7)
τ 0
4 PROBLEM SET I

and
r
p H2 2EH 2
r= with p= and e= 1+ . (8)
1 + e cos θ k mk 2

(7) General relativistic corrections add a 1/r2 term to the Newtonian potential, so that the full potential

is given by "  2 #
GM GM
V (r) = −mp −2 . (9)
r rc
Find the rate of precession of the orbit of Mercury (a = 0.307499 AU, e = 0.205630, 1 AU

≈ 1.496 × 108 km, M = 1.9885 × 1030 kg, mp = 3.3011 × 1023 kg).