PH101: PHYSICS1

Lecture 5

Constrains, Degree’s of freedom and generalized coordinates

 Constrains
Motion of particle not always remains free but often is subjected to given
conditions.

A particle is bound to move along the

circumference of an ellipse in XZ plane.
X
At all position of the particle, it is bound
௫మ ௭మ
to obey the condition మ + మ =1
௔ ௕

Constrains: Condition or restrictions imposed on motion of

particle/particles
 Classification of constrains
 Holonomic Constrains: Expressible in terms of equation involving
coordinates and time (may or may not present),

I,e. ࢌ ࢗ૚ , … . ࢗ࢔ , ࢚ = ૙; where ‫ݍ‬௜ are the instantaneous coordinates

 Non-holonomic constrains : Constrains which are not holonomic

Two types of constrains are there in this category

(i) Equations involving velocities: ࢌ ࢗ૚ , … , ࢗሶ ૚ , … . , ࢗሶ ࢔ , ࢚ = ૙,

(& those cannot be reduced to the holonomic form!).

(ii) Constraints as in-equalities,

An example, ࢌ ࢗ૚ , … . , ࢗ࢔ , ࢚ < ૙

In both type of constrains (holonomic/non-holonomic) time may or may not be

present explicitly.
 Pendulum
X  ‫݊݋݅ݐܽݑݍ݁ ݊݅ܽݎݐݏ݊݋ܥ‬s
‫ ݔ‬ଶ + ‫ ݕ‬ଶ = ݈ଶ


‫݈ = ݔ‬ଶ − ‫ ݕ‬ଶ

 One can not change ‫ ݔ‬independently,

any change in ‫ ݔ‬will automatically
(‫ݔ‬, ‫)ݕ‬ change ‫ݕ‬.

Y
࢞, ࢟ ࢇ࢘ࢋ ࢔࢕࢚ independent due to presence of constrains

Independent coordinates: If you fix all but one coordinate and still have
a continuous range of movement in the free coordinate.

If you fix ‫ݕ‬ଵ , leaving ‫ݔ‬ଵ free, then there is no continuous range of ‫ݔ‬ଵ
possible. In fact in this case there will not be any motion if you fix ‫ݕ‬ଵ
 Degree of Freedom &Generalized coordinate

X
 If you choose ߠ as the only coordinate, it
can represent entire motion of the bob in
XY plane

 In this problem, only one coordinate ߠ is

ߠ sufficient which is sole independent
coordinate.
Y
Degree of Freedom (DOF): no of independent coordinate required
to represent the entire motion = 3 × ݊‫ ݏ݈݁ܿ݅ݐݎܽ݌ ݂݋ ݋‬−
݊‫݋‬. ‫= ݏ݊݅ܽݎݐݏ݊݋ܿ ݂݋‬3-2=1
In this case no. of particle=1
No. of constrains =2 [‫ ݔ‬ଶ + ‫ ݕ‬ଶ = ݈ଶ and ‫ = ݖ‬0]

DOF =1; Generalized Coordinate= ߠ

 Degree’s of freedom

 Degree’s of freedom (DOF): No. of independent coordinates

required to completely specify the dynamics of particles/system
of particles is known as degree’s of freedom.

Degree’s of freedom =
3 × ݊‫݋‬. ‫ ݏ݈݁ܿ݅ݐݎܽ݌ ݂݋‬− ܰ‫݋‬. ‫ݏ݊݅ܽݎݐݏ݊݋ܿ ܿ݅݉݋݊݋݈݋݄ ݂݋‬

= 3ܰ − ݇
Where
ܰ= No. of particles
݇ =No. of constrains.
 Holonomic constrains

Y
ܽ
‫ݖ‬ଵ
X
ߠ
‫ݖ‬ଶ

݉ଵ

Particle moving ݉ଶ
A particle is moving along a
along a line
straight wire, making an angle
(say X-axis) Atwood’s machine
With x-axis.
࡯࢕࢔࢙࢚࢘ࢇ࢏࢔ ࢋ࢛ࢗࢇ࢚࢏࢕࢔࢙ Constrain equations
࢟ = ૙; ࢠ = ૙ ࡯࢕࢔࢙࢚࢘ࢇ࢏࢔ ࢋ࢛ࢗࢇ࢚࢏࢕࢔s ࢠ૚ + ࢠ૛ + ࣊ࢇ = ࢒
࢟ = ࢞ ࢚ࢇ࢔(ߠ); ࢞૚ = ૙; ࢟૚ = ૙
DOF =1; ࢠ=૙ ࢞૛ = ૙; ࢟૛ = ૙
GC= x DOF =1; GC = x or y DOF =1;
General form of these constrain equations, ࢌ ࢗ૚ , … , ࢗ࢔ = ૙ GC = z1 or z2
 Pendulum of varying length!

X The length of the string is changing with time

݈(‫ )ݐ‬and is known.

݈ ‫ݐ‬ ݈ ‫ ݐ‬+ ݀‫ݐ‬

General form of these constrain
equations ࢌ ࢗ૚ , … , ࢗ࢔ , ࢚ = ૙

Y
Pendulum with stretchable string, the
bob is constrain to move in a plane

‫݊݋݅ݐܽݑݍ݁ ݊݅ܽݎݐݏ݊݋ܥ‬s
‫ ݔ‬ଶ + ‫ ݕ‬ଶ = ݈ ଶ (‫)ݐ‬
DOF =1; GC = ߠ
‫=ݖ‬0
Non-holonomic constraint
Gas molecules confined within
a spherical container of radius ܴ

Constrain condition ࢘࢏ ൑ ࡾ

Inequality!
 Rolling Constraint

Rolling of a disc without slipping

Z R

࢜ ࢜ = ࡾߠሶ
dx= R݀ߠ
dߠ

x0 X

x - Rߠ= x0 (constraint relation)

DOF =1; GC = ߠ
Other ࡯࢕࢔࢙࢚࢘ࢇ࢏࢔࢙:
࢟ = ૙; ࢠ = ࡾ; M = ૙; \ = ૙;
More complicated constraint

Speed,
‫ܴ߮ = ݒ‬ሶ

‫ݔ‬ሶ = ‫ ݒ‬sin ߠ = ܴ߮ሶ sin ߠ

‫ݕ‬ሶ = −‫ ݒ‬cos ߠ = −ܴ߮ሶ cos ߠ

Velocity dependence that can’t be integrated out!

Non-holonomic!
 Double pendulum

X
 To describe the motion double pendulum in XY
plane, one needs four coordinates (‫ݔ‬ଵ , ‫ݕ‬ଵ , ‫ݔ‬ଶ , ‫ݕ‬ଶ )
݈ଵ in Cartesian coordinate system.

ߠ1 (‫ݔ‬ଵ , ‫ݕ‬ଵ )  The Cartesian coordinates are

not independent, they are
݈ଶ
related by constrain equations
ߠ2
(‫ݔ‬ଶ , ‫ݕ‬ଶ )
‫ݔ‬ଵ ଶ + ‫ݕ‬ଵ ଶ = ݈ଵ ଶ
Y (‫ݔ‬ଶ − ‫ݔ‬ଵ )ଶ +(‫ݕ‬ଶ − ‫ݕ‬ଵ )ଶ = ݈ଶ ଶ

If you fix ‫ݕ‬ଵ , ‫ݔ‬ଶ , ‫ݕ‬ଶ leaving ‫ݔ‬ଵ free, then there is no continuous range of ‫ݔ‬ଵ
possible. In fact in this case there will not be any motion by fixing three
coordinates leaving one as free.
 Generalizer coordinates
X  If you choose ߠଵ and ߠଶ as the coordinates, then
they can adequately describe the motion of double
pendulum at any instant. (they are complete)
ߠଵ
No. of constrains = 4
‫ݖ‬ଵ = 0; ‫ݖ‬ଶ = 0;
ߠଶ ‫ݔ‬ଵ ଶ + ‫ݕ‬ଵ ଶ = ݈ଵ ଶ ;
(‫ݔ‬ଶ − ‫ݔ‬ଵ )ଶ +(‫ݕ‬ଶ − ‫ݕ‬ଵ )ଶ = ݈ଶ ଶ

Y DOF: No. of independent coordinates required to

completely specify the motion
=3 × ݊‫݋‬. ‫ ݏ݈݁ܿ݅ݐݎܽ݌ ݂݋‬− ܰ‫݋‬. ‫ݏ݊݅ܽݎݐݏ݊݋ܿ ݂݋‬
=3×2−4=2

Generalizer coordinates:ࣂ૚ and ࣂ૛

 Generalized coordinate?
Generalized coordinate
 non necessarily a distance
 Not necessarily an angle.
 Not necessarily belong to a particular coordinate system!
(Cartesian, Cylindrical, Polar or Spherical polar)
Let’s check an example to clarify the above mentioned points

(‫ݔ‬, ߠ) are the independent

‫ݔ‬
generalized coordinates.
(Check the independence)
Generalized coordinates
A pendulum is attached ߠ ‫→ ݔ‬distance
with an linearly oscillating ߠ →Angle
particle Not belong to any specific
coordinates system (mixed up)
 Generalized coordinates properties
ࢗ࢐ →To be generalized coordinates
They must be
 Must be independent
 Must be complete
 System must be holonomic

 Meaning of Complete: Capable to describe the

system configuration at times. In other word, capable
of locating all parts at all times.

Generalized coordinates
 Not necessarily Cartesian
 Not necessarily any specific coordinate system
 Generalized coordinates of rigid body
Rigid body has six degrees of freedom
Thus six generalized coordinates are necessary to specify the
dynamics of rigid body

3 translational DOF for the center of Mass + 3 rotational degree

of freedom about the center of mass = 6 generalized coordinates

Translational
Three rotational
degree of
degree of
freedom of CM :
freedom about
(‫ݔ‬, ‫ݕ‬, ‫)ݖ‬
CM: (߮, ߠ, \)
In case of only translation (motion of CM), a rigid body
can be accounted as point particle during estimating the
number degree of freedom
 Summery
Constrain

Holonomic
ࢌ ࢗ࢏ , ࢚ = ૙ Non-Holonomic
ࢌ ࢗ࢏ , ࢗሶ ࢏ , ࢚ = ૙
Or, as inequalities
ࢌ ࢗ࢏ t૙

 Degree’s of freedom =No. of independent coordinates required to completely specify

particles configuration at all times (generalized coordinates) =3ܰ − ݇
Where N→ no. of particles
݇ → no. of holonomic, constrains

 Choice of generalized coordinates is not unique but no. must be equal to degree’s of
freedom.
Question please