Classical Mechanics(PH508)
Problem Set 2
1. A particle of mass m rests on a smooth plane. The plane is raised to an inclination
angle θ at a constant rate α(θ = 0 at t = 0), causing the particle to move down the
plane. Determine the Lagrangian and obtain the equation of motion.
2. A simple pendulum of length b and bob with mass m is attached to a massless
support moving horizontally with constant acceleration a. Determine the Euler
Lagrange’s equations of motion.
3. A simple pendulum of length b and bob with mass m is attached to a massless
support moving vertically upward with constant acceleration a. Determine the La-
grange’s equations of motion.
4. A pendulum consists of a mass m suspended by a massless spring with unextended
length b and spring constant k. Find Lagrange’s equations of motion.
5. The point of support of a simple pendulum of mass m and length b is driven hor-
izontally by x = a sin ωt. Write down the Lagrangian and obtain the pendulum’s
equation of motion.
6. A particle moves in a plane under the influence of a force f = −Arα−1 directed
towards the origin; A and α(> 0) are constants. Use polar coordinates as generalized
coordinates and let the potential energy be zero at the origin. Obtain the Euler
Lagrangian equations of motion.
7. Consider a simple plane pendulum consisting of a mass m attached to a string of
length l. After the pendulum is set into motion, the length of the string is shortened
at a constant rate
dl
= −α = constant
dt
The suspension point remains fixed. Obtain the Lagrangian of the system.
8. A spherical pendulum consists of a bob of mass m suspended from an inextensible
string of length l (figure below). Determine the Lagrangian and the equation of
motion.(Note: θ is the polar angle measured from the positive z axis, and ϕ is the
azimuthal angle measured from the x axis in the xy plane.)
9. Consider a LC ciruit that consists of an inductor L connected in series with capac-
itor C. Obtain the Lagrangian and the equation of motion. Compare the resulting
equation of motion with the harmonic oscillator with particle mass m and spring
constant k.
Figure 1: LC Circuit
10. Consider a RL circuit comprised of a resistor, joined in series with an inductor L.
Obtain the Lagrangian and the corresponding Euler Lagrangian equation of motion.
Figure 2: RL Circuit
11. Obtain the Lagrangian and equations of motion for the double pendulum illustrated
below, where the length of the massless strings are l1 and l2 with corresponding
masses m1 and m2 .(θ1 and θ2 are the angles made by the masses m1 and m2 with
respect to normal respectively.)
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12. By applying the methods of calculus of variations, show that if there is a Lagrangian
of the form L(qi , q̇i , q̈i , t) and Hmilton’s principle holds with the zero variation of both
qi and q̇i at the end points, then the corresponding Euler-Lagrange equations are
d2 ∂L
d ∂L ∂L
− + =0
dt2 ∂ q̈i dt ∂ q̇i ∂qi
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