Preliminary Examination: Classical Mechanics

Department of Physics and Astronomy

University of New Mexico

Fall 2004

Instructions:
• The exam consists two parts: 5 short answers (6 points each) and your pick of 2
out 3 long answer problems (35 points each).
• Where possible, show all work, partial credit will be given.
• Personal notes on two sides of a 8X11 page are allowed.
• Total time: 3 hours
Good luck!

Short answers:
S1. A bowler throws a bowling ball (solid sphere of radius 10cm) down a lane. The ball initially
slides down the lane with velocity 10m/s, and angular speed ω = 0. The coefficient of sliding
friction between the ball and the lane is 0.2. Draw a free-body diagram. For how much time does
the ball slide?
S2. A bullet of mass m = 10g is fired into a
large block of wood of mass M = 6kg
hanging by two cords. The bullet remains
lodged in the wood block, and the block +
bullet swing upward, their center of mass
rising a vertical distance 8cm before
stopping and swinging back down. What
was the velocity of the bullet before it struck
the block?
M = 6kg
S3. A ball and spring system is set up as shown in the figure below, with the ball attached to the
spring via a frictionless axel. Initially, the ball rolls without sliding on the floor back and forth
with amplitude xmax and speed at the relaxed point of the spring x&max . Later, when the ball
reaches xmax , the floor is quickly lubricated so that there is little, if any friction. Describe the
system by qualitatively relating the new amplitude xmax
new
and maximum speed x&max
new
after the
lubrication to the old, and discuss any differences.

x&max

xmax
S4. The figure below shows a spherical hollow inside an otherwise solid lead sphere of radius R;
the surface of the hollow passes through the center of the sphere and “touches” the right side of
the sphere. The mass of the sphere before hollowing was M. With what gravitational force does
the hollowed out lead sphere attract a small sphere of mass m that lies at a distance d from the
center of the lead sphere on a straight line connecting the centers of the sphere and the hollow?

R m
S5. In the conical pendulum below, the bob has a mass m = 0.04kg, the string has a length L =
0.90m (and a mass that is negligible), and the bob follows a circular path of circumference c =
0.94m. What are a) the tension in the string, and b) the period of motion?

r
m
Long Answers: Pick two out of three problems below

L1. A simplified, classical mechanical model of a triatomic molecule consists of three equal
point masses m which slide without friction on a fixed circular loop of radius R. The masses are
connected with identical massless springs of spring constant κ. The springs also slide freely on
the loop. The masses have angular positions θ1, θ2, and θ3 measured from equally spaced rest
positions (see figure below). Ignore gravity.

a) Write the Lagrangian for this system.

b) From the Lagrangian, obtain the equations of motion for θi, i = 1,2,3.
c) Show that the mode of oscillation θ1 = θ2 = θ3 corresponds to constant angular momentum.
d) For the situation in which total angular momentum is zero and simultaneously θ1 + θ2 + θ3
= 0, show that there are two degenerate oscillatory modes and determine their common
frequency.

θ1

θ3

θ2
L2. A Plank of length l and mass M hangs from a pivot on one side and a wire on the other. The
wire is then cut.

a) Find the force on the pivot immediately after the wire is cut.
b) Find the force on the pivot when the plank swings through vertical.
L3. A spacecraft of mass m is approaching a planet of mass M at radial velocity r& ~ v and impact
parameter b << a, where a is the current distance from the spacecraft to the planet. Give the
condition on b for a bound orbit in terms of M, m, a and/or v and physical constants.
Mechanics Prelim August 18, 2006 p.1

Preliminary Examination: Mechanics

Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of New Mexico
Fall 2006
Instructions:
• the exam consists of 10 problems, 10 points each;
• partial credit will be given if merited;
• personal notes on two sides of 8 × 11 page are allowed;
• total time is 3 hours

1. What is the escape velocity from a planet of mass M?

2. A planet consists of a solid core of uniform density ρc , radius Rc and a dust halo
of uniform density ρd . Both the core and the dust are spherically symmetric.
What is the force on a test mass m sitting inside the dust at r > Rc .

Figure 2:
Mechanics Prelim August 18, 2006 p.2

3. A puck of mass m sits on a rotating platform (angular frequancy ω=constant).

Initially the puck is held fixed so that it is at rest in the platform frame at
x = x0 , y = 0. At t = 0 the puck is released and slides without friction on the
platform. What is the trajectory (x(t), y(t)) of the puck for t > 0 in the platform
reference frame?

Figure 3:

4. A uniform rod (of length ` and mass m) hangs from its end and is free to rotate in
the vertical plane. Find the angular frequency of oscillation for small (harmonic)
oscillations.

Figure 4:
Mechanics Prelim August 18, 2006 p.3

5. Consider the system of coupled harmonic oscillators shown in the figure. At

equilibrium x1 = d, x2 = 0 , the springs are unstretched. The masses are released
from rest at x1 =qd, x2 = 0. Find x1 (t) in terms of the symmetric mode angular
frequency ωs = k/m and the anti-symmetric mode angular frequency ωa =
q
(k + 2k 0 )/m

Figure 5:

6. Consider the oscillator shown in the figure. At equilibrium, both springs are all
unstretched. Show that for displacements purely in the z direction, the motion
is not harmonic no matter how small the displacement.

Figure 6:
Mechanics Prelim August 18, 2006 p.4

7. A puck slides on a frictionless, horizontal table attached to the origin by a massless

spring (constant k, length `). Write a Lagrangian for the system and show that
the angular momentum is conserved.

Figure 7:

8. A bead of mass m slides freely on a vertical hoop that is being rotated with
constant angular velocity about the vertical direction (see figure). Write a La-
grangian for the system in terms of the generalized coordinate θ.

Figure 8:
Mechanics Prelim August 18, 2006 p.5

9. A laser with frequency ν is aimed at a mirror which moves towards it at a rela-

tivistic speed v. What is the frequency ν 0 of photons that are reflected directly
back towards the laser?

Figure 9:

10. High energy cosmic ray protons can interact with Cosmic Microwave background
photons via
p + photon → p + π0 .
We want to determine the minimum (threshold) photon energy for this process
in the proton rest frame.
a.(3 points) Find the Lorentz transformation (boost) from the proton rest frame
to the zero-momentum frame (frame in which the momentum of the photon-
proton system is zero).
b.(3 points) In the zero-momentum frame, what is the minimum (threshold)
energy to produce a proton and a pion?
c.(4 points) Transform back to the proton rest frame to find the minimum photon
energy for this reaction in the proton rest frame.
Mechanics Prelim August 17, 2007 p.1

Preliminary Examination: Mechanics

Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of New Mexico
Fall 2007
Instructions:
• the exam consists of 10 problems, 10 points each;
• partial credit will be given if merited;
• personal notes on two sides of 8 × 11 page are allowed;
• total time is 3 hours.

1. A rock of mass m0 sits at the bottom of a super-deap mine shaft that is 1/3 the
radius of the earth. Ignoring air friction, what is the minimum speed with which
the rock can be launched to reach the surface of the earth? Express your answer
as a ratio to the earth’s escape velocity.

2. Two spheres are of the same mass and the same diameter but one is solid and
the other is hollow. Describe a non-destructive experiment to determine which
is which. Be sure to clearly state the experimental conclusion, for example “thus
this is the solid sphere”.

3. A physical pendulum is made of rigid rods of negligible mass in the shape of

an isosceles triangle with two equal masses attached as shown. Consider only
motions in the plane of the triangle. Find the frequency of small oscillations of
the pendulum.

4. A uniform rod of length ` is attached to the floor by a fixed pivot point. It stands
vertically and then tips over. What is the rod’s angular velocity when it hits the
floor?
Mechanics Prelim August 17, 2007 p.2

5. A system consisting of two pucks of equal mass m and connected by a massless

spring (with spring constant k) is initially at rest on a horizontal, frictionless
table with the spring at it’s uncompressed length. One mass is then given an
essentially instantaneous impulse I perpendicular to the direction connecting the
masses. Write an equation that whose solution gives the minimum and maximum
length of the spring it the subsequent motion. What is the minimum length of the
spring? Make a qualitative sketch showing a graphical solution for the maximum
length of the spring.

6. A neutron of kinetic energy 2 MeV collides head-on in an elastic collision with a

nuclei of mass number A which is initially at rest. What is the smallest energy
the neutron can have following the collision?

7. A simple pendulum is suspended from the rim of a wheel which rotates within the
vertical plane with constant angular velocity Ω. (refer to figure) Consider only
motion in which the pendulum bob swings in the plane of the wheel. Ignore any
potential tangling of the string with the wheel or axle. Write the exact equation
of motion for the bob in terms of the angle θ.

8. Consider a one dimensional simple harmonic oscillator with angular frequency

ω and amplitude A. The oscillator spends more time near it’s turning points at
x = ±A then at its equilibrium point at x = 0. Show this by obtaining an
expression for the fraction of a complete period that the oscillator spends within
a small interval ∆x at position x.
Mechanics Prelim August 17, 2007 p.3

9. Two masses 2m and m are attached to each other by a massless spring with spring
constant k and and suspended from the ceiling by an identical spring (refer to
figure). Only vertical displacements are considered. Using coordinates z1 and z2
to describe the displacements from equilibrium of the upper and lower masses
respectively, the equations of motion are given by,

2mz¨1 + 2kz1 = kz2

mz¨2 + kz2 = kz1

Determine the normal modes and normal mode frequencies of this system.

10. Ultra-high energy protons propagating through the universe interact with the
cosmic-microwave background photons. What is the proton energy for the reso-
nance process
p + γ → N ? → pπ 0 or nπ +
where mN ? = 1240 MeV, mp = 940 MeV and the mean CMB photon energy is
10−4 eV?
 Preliminary Examination: Classical Mechanics
Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of New Mexico
Fall 2008

Instructions:
The exam consists of 10 problems (10 points each).
Where possible, show all work; partial credit will be given if merited.
Personal notes on two sides of an 8 11 page are allowed.
Total time: 3 hours.

————————————————————————————————
Unless otherwise noted, commonly used symbols are de…ned as follows:

x_: Rate of change of position x with time.

x
• : Rate of change of velocity x_ with time.
t: Time
x(0) : Initial position
x(0)
_ : Initial velocity
L : Lagrangian
r: Radius
: Polar angle in xy plane
x
^ : Unit vector in the x direction.

Useful Information:
R1 dx
1. 1 cosh(x)
=

2. sinh2 (x) + 1 = cosh2 (x)

1
 ————————————————————————————————

P1. Two model railroad cars move horizontally along a straight track. Car
1, having a mass of 0.25 kg and moving at a speed of 1.0 m/s, collides with
car 2, having a mass of 0.50 kg and initially at rest. The cars do not become
fastened together because their couplers break in the collision. If the coe¢ cient
of restitution e = 0:50, what are the …nal speeds of the two cars? Neglect wheel
friction and air friction. [Recall that
v2(…nal) v1(…nal)
e=
v1(initial) v2(initial)

is the ratio of the …nal relative speed of separation to the initial relative closing
speed.]

P2. A …re hose ejecting water at a rate of 5 m3 /min through a nozzle with
an exit diameter of 5.0 cm is aimed horizontally at a brick wall. Assuming that
the collision of the water with the wall is inelastic, what is the force exerted on
the wall by the water? [The density of water is 1 g/cm3 :]

P3. A bicycle wheel, mass 1 kg all at the rim, radius 33 cm, rotates on a
massless and frictionless axel at 6.0 radians/sec initially. The wheel is placed
in a horizontal position with the end of the axel resting on a pivot, 20 cm from
the center of mass, as shown in the …gure below. It precesses like a gyroscope
due to gravity. Find the precession frequency and its direction.

2
 P4. A cylinder with radius R rolls without slipping down an inclined plane
from a height h: The cylinder is of uniform density, except for the fact that two
holes have been drilled along its length, parallel to the cylindrical axis, but each
displaced from the axis by R=2: The holes each have a radius of approximately
R=2 (but slightly smaller than this so that the outer wall of the cylinder is still
intact.), as shown in the …gure. What will be the speed of the cylinder when
it reaches the bottom of the incline? [Note: For a cylinder of uniform density
with mass m and radius R; the moment of inertia of about the cylindrical axis
is 12 mR2 :]

P5. A particle with mass m moves along the x axis. It is attached to the
origin by a spring with force constant k: Its motion is damped according to
Stoke’s law (the frictional force is proportional to the velocity), with a damping
coe¢ cient b: The particle is subjected to a sinusoidal driving force

F (t) = F0 cos !t

with amplitude F0 and frequency !. Obtain an expression for the steady state
amplitude x(t) if the the system is driven on resonance.

3
 P6. A particle of mass m is attracted to the origin by an inverse square-law
force. Its trajectory describes an ellipse in the xy plane. In polar coordinates,
a Lagrangian describing the dynamics of this system is given by
1 2 1 2 _2 k
L= mr_ + mr +
2 2 r
where k is a constant. Obtain Lagrange’s equations of motion for r and , and
show that at least two quantities are constants of the motion. Identify these
quantities.

P7. A particle of mass m moving in three dimensions is attracted to the

origin by a Hooke’s law force,

F = kr
where r is the radial distance from the origin and k is the force constant. It
can be shown that the radial motion is governed by a second-order di¤erential
equation,
`2
m•r = kr +
mr3
where ` is the angular momentum. If r(0)_ = 0; for a particular initial radius
r(0) = r0 the orbit will be circular. Derive an expression for the frequency of
the circular orbit and show that it does not depend on ` and r0 .

P8. A particle having mass m slides without friction inside of a hollow tube
of length R; as shown in the …gure below. It is connected to the ends of the tube
by two lightweight springs, each having spring constant k. Their unstretched
lengths are negligable. The tube is attached to a motorized turntable in the
horizontal plane, so that it is forced to rotate about one end at a constant
angular frequency : The position of the ball in the horizontal plane is given by
the polar coordinates r and . What is the equation of motion for r?

4
 P9. An electron having charge e and mass m moves in the xy plane in a
constant uniform magnetic …eld having magnitude B0 in the z^ direction. Write
down Newton’s equations for motion in the x; and y directions. Decouple the
equations from one another to show that simple harmonic motion ensues in both
the x and y directions with a common frequency:

P10. A particle with mass m moves along the x axis, repelled from the
origin in such a manner that its potential energy given by

V (x) = V0 sinh2 ( x)

for all x; where V0 and are constants. Suppose that the particle is initially far
to the left, at x = L; moving to the right and having positive energy E = V0 ;
as shown in the energy diagram below. Show that the time it will take to reach
a point far to the right, at x = +L; in the limit L ! 1; is given by

t= q
2 2
m V0

(Ignore relativistic e¤ects).

5
 Preliminary Examination: Classical Mechanics
Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of New Mexico
Fall 2009

Instructions:
The exam consists of 10 problems (10 points each).
Where possible, show all work; partial credit will be given if merited.
Personal notes on two sides of an 8 11 page are allowed.
Total time: 3 hours.

————————————————————————————————
Unless otherwise noted, commonly used symbols are de…ned as follows:

x_: Rate of change of position x with time.

x
• : Rate of change of velocity x_ with time.
t: Time
x(0) : Initial position
x(0)
_ : Initial velocity
L : Lagrangian
r: Radius
: Polar angle in xy plane
x
^ : Unit vector in the x direction.

1
 ————————————————————————————————

P1. Regener Hall’s traveling demonstration kit contains a weight, and three
identical ideal (massless) springs. If the weight is hung from one spring, it oscil-
lates with a natural frequency ! 0 : What is the natural frequency of oscillation
if the weight is hung from all three of the springs hooked together, as shown in
the …gure.

2
 P2. At the Tyson Corporation’s food processing plant in Little Rock,
chickens are dropped from a spout onto a horizontal conveyer belt at a rate of
1 bird every 5 seconds. The belt moves at a constant speed of 1 m/s. If the
average mass of each chicken is 2 kg, what is the average power required to keep
the belt moving?

3
 TM
P3. The New Mexico Railrunner commuter train is equipped with an
accelerometer to measure the smoothness of the ride. The device consists of a
mass m hanging from a spring with sti¤ness constant k: When the train is at
rest, the mass experiences the constant acceleration of gravity g. When the train
moves along the tracks, however, the acceleration g(t) = g + g 0 sin t changes
sinusoidally in time with a frequency and an amplitude g 0 . After the train
has been moving for somep time, the mass assumes a steady state oscillation at
the frequency . If 6= k=m; what is the displacement x of the mass as a
function of time t in steady state?

4
 P4. A particle of mass m moves in the x-y plane. A Lagrangian governing
its dynamics is given by
2
L = m x_ y_ xy
where is a constant. Describe and sketch at least one physical system that
has this dynamics.

5
 P5. The …gure below shows a baseball of mass m moving with speed v0 in
a horizontal (xy) plane immediately before it strikes a baseball bat of mass M
and length `. One end of the bat is held in place by a force F~ = Fx x ^ + Fy y^,
and it rotates about this point as it recoils from the collision. If the ball collides
with the bat at the center of percussion, the tangential force component Fy is
zero just after the collision. This is advantageous because it reduces the amount
of energy dissipated through the batter’s hands and arms. Assuming that the
baseball bat can be modeled as a thin rod of uniform density, …nd the location
x of the center of percussion.

6
 P6. A compound pendulum consists of a sti¤ wire hoop of radius R and
mass M; and a small bead of mass m that slides on the hoop. As shown in the
…gure, the hoop hangs from a point on its circumference. It is free to rotate
about this point in the plane of the page. Write a Lagrangian for the hoop-bead
system in coordinates that respect the constraint that the bead slides on the
wire.

7
 P7. A particle of mass m moving in three dimensions is attracted to the
origin by an inverse square-law force

~r
F~ = k 3;
j~rj

where k is a constant, and the particle’s location is given by the vector ~r =

x x
^ + y y^ + z z^: Show that the angular momentum L ~ = Lx x
^ + Ly y^ + Lz z^ is
conserved. What does this imply for the trajectory?

8
 P8. A small mass m1 slides without friction on a level surface. It is con-
nected by a string through a tiny hole in the plane to a second mass m2 that is
hanging below the plane. Initially, the …rst mass is given an an angular velocity
! 0 so that it moves in a circular trajectory of radius r0 and angular momentum
` = m1 r02 ! 0 . If the second mass is now given a small displacement in the verti-
cal direction, the system oscillates with a frequency . Starting with the radial
equation of motion,
`2
(m1 + m2 ) r• = m2 g;
m1 r 3
show that r
3m1
= !0 :
m1 + m2

9
 P9. An electron having charge e and mass m moves in a plane in a
time-varying electromagnetic …eld. Using polar coordinates r; to describe the
location of the electron in the plane, a Lagrangian for the system is given by
1 2 1
L= m r_ 2 + r2 _ + er2 _ B0 cos !t
2 2
where the …eld has an amplitude B0 and oscillates with a frequency !. Find a
constant of the motion.

10
 P10. A small bead slides freely on a rigid circular wire of radius R in a
vertical plane, as shown in the …gure. If the bead is released from rest at an
angle of 90 degrees
R with respect to the vertical, what is the period of oscillation?
d
[Useful integral: 0 psin = 5:24412]

11
 Preliminary Examination: Classical Mechanics
Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of New Mexico
Fall 2012

Instructions:
The exam consists of 10 problems (10 points each).
Where possible, show all work; partial credit will be given if merited.
Personal notes on two sides of an 8 11 page are allowed.
Total time: 3 hours.

————————————————————————————————

1
 P1. A block with mass m1 is free to slide on the sloping surface of a solid
wedge, at an angle : The wedge has a mass m2 , and is free to slide horizontally
along the ‡oor. The block is released at a height h, and both the block and the
wedge are initially at rest. Show that, for su¢ ciently small ; when the block
reaches the ‡oor, the wedge will have acquired a kinetic energy,

m1
K ' m1 gh :
m2 + m1

P2. The moving walkway at the Albuquerque airport has a constant

velocity of 2.0 m/s. When a pedestrian walking at a speed of 1.0 m/s steps
onto the walkway, his speed increases to 3.0 m/s, assuming that he resumes his
original pace while on the walkway. If an average pedestrian has a mass of 100
kg, and 20 passengers step on the walkway every minute, what is the average
power required to maintain a constant walkway speed?

2
 P3. Young’s modulus E is the ratio of the longitudinal stress to the longi-
tudinal strain ofpan elastic material. Consider the propagation of sound waves
with speed c = E= along the length of a wooden beam having E = 9:0 GPa,
and mass density = 400 kg/m3 : The fundamental mode of vibration is excited
in a beam that is clamped at both ends, having a length of 2:0 m and a cross
sectional area of 30 cm2 : If the vibrational amplitude is 1.0 10 5 m, what is
the maximum force exerted on the clamps?

P4. A bead with mass m slides freely along a rigid wire; its position in
Cartesian coordinates given by the angle according to the parametric equation
for a helix of radius R and pitch ,

x = R cos
y = R sin
z = R

What is the component of force on the bead by the wire in the z^ direction?

3
 P5. Consider a pendulum, consisting of a mass m attached to the end of a
light weight rod of length `, as shown in the …gure. The pivot point is driven,
such that its vertical position y(t) = A sin(!t) oscillates in time. Show that, for
small angles, (t) obeys the equation for a parametrically driven oscillator,

•+ g A 2
! sin !t =0
` `

P6. In order to carry out a sliding/rolling experiment with a bowling ball,

one half of the lecture hall was polished and lubricated, to approximate a fric-
tionless surface. The other half was coated with a rubberized compound, to
eliminate sliding altogether. Consider a bowling ball of uniform mass density
initially sliding without rolling with speed v1 on the slippery side. The ball
passes from the slippery side to the rubberized side, and immediately begins
to roll without slipping. What will be the …nal speed v2 of the ball’s center of
mass?

4
 P7. Consider a planet with mass m orbiting the sun with mass M: The
sun-planet separation r and radial velocity r_ are related to one another through
conservation of energy E and angular momentum `, such that

1 2 `2 GM m
E= mr_ + :
2 2mr2 r
What is the relation between E and ` if the aphelion (rmax ) is three times as
large as the perihelion (rmin )?

P8. The motion of a particle with mass m moving in the x-y plane is
described by the Lagrangian

L = mx_ y_ xy

where is a positive constant. Find at least one constant of the motion. Obtain
Lagrange’s equations of motion and solve them for x(t) and y(t); for arbitrary
initial conditions. Show explicitly that your constant(s) of the motion does(do)
not change in time.

5
 P9. A cart with mass m rolls along a frictionless horizontal track that is
punctuated by an s-shaped ramp. As shown in the …gure below, the track to
the right of the ramp is at an elevation h relative to the track to the left of the
ramp. The entire track, along with its support structure, has exactly the same
mass m as the cart, and it is free to slide along a frictionless surface. Initially,
the track is at rest, and the cart begins on the left with an initial velocity vi
so that it approaches the ramp. If vi is high enough, the cart will climb up the
ramp and emerge on the right, but if vi is too low, then the cart will return to
the left after having climbed only part way up the ramp. What is the threshold
value of vi ? Find an expression for the …nal velocity of the cart vf as a function
of vi ; and sketch a graph of vf vs vi :

P10. A top consists of a uniform sphere of radius R and mass m attached to

the midpoint of a slender lightweight rod of length `: One end of the rod pivots
on a support stand, as shown. Initially the top is given an angular frequency
! about the rod. If placed initially at an angle with respect to the vertical and
gently released at just the right angular velocity about the vertical, the top
will exhibit a stable precession. What should be if the top is to precess at an
angle of 45 degrees from the vertical?

6
Mechanics Prelim Fall Semester 2013 1

Preliminary Examination: Mechanics

Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of New Mexico
Fall Semester 2013
Instructions:
• the exam consists of 10 problems, 10 points each;
• partial credit will be given if merited;
• personal notes on two sides of 8 × 11 page are allowed;
• total time is 3 hours

1. Consider a system of two identical masses (m) connected by a spring (constant

k) which is constrained to move along the direction connecting the two masses,
but can move freely along that direction. At t = 0 mass 1 is at rest and mass two
has a velocity ~v = v2 (0)x̂ and the spring is at its un-stretched length (`). What
is the velocity of mass 1 as a function of time t?

2. A particle of mass m, attached to a rigid rod of length `, rotates in a vertical

plane with constant angular speed ω. What is the magnitude of the force that
must be applied to the mass by the rod as a function of angle θ? Take θ = 0 to
be the vertical direction.

θ

3. Suppose that the earth was an infinite flat slab of thickness t with uniform density
ρ0 . Calculate t in order that this flat earth has the same acceleration due to
gravity at the surface (= g) as the round earth.
Mechanics Prelim Fall Semester 2013 2

4. A system consisting of two pucks of equal mass m and connected by a massless

spring (with spring constant k) is initially at rest on a horizontal, frictionless
table with the spring at its uncompressed length `0 . One mass is then given an
essentially instantaneous impulse I perpendicular to the direction connecting the
masses. Write an equation that whose solution gives the minimum and maximum
length of the spring in the subsequent motion. What is the minimum length of the
spring? Make a qualitative sketch showing a graphical solution for the maximum
length of the spring.

5. A hoop of mass, m, and radius R rolls without slipping down a

plane as shown in the figure below. A massless spring is at-
tached to a massless axle. Write a Lagrangian for the system
and use it to derive the equation of motion in the y coordinate.
Mechanics Prelim Fall Semester 2013 3

6. Two masses 2m and m are attached to each other by a massless spring with spring
constant k and and suspended from the ceiling by an identical spring (refer to
figure). Only vertical displacements are considered. Using coordinates z1 and z2
to describe the displacements from equilibrium of the upper and lower masses
respectively, the equations of motion are given by,

2mz¨1 + 2kz1 = kz2

mz¨2 + kz2 = kz1

Determine the normal modes and normal mode frequencies of this system.

7. A particle of mass m slides without friction on a bent wire subject to the force
of gravity. Taking the vertical direction to be ẑ and the horizontal direction to
be x̂, the shape of the wire is given by z = ax2 /2. Write the Lagrangian taking
x as the generalized coordinate.
z

g

x
Mechanics Prelim Fall Semester 2013 4

8. A door of mass m (uniform mass per area), width a and height 2a is rotated
about a vertical axle through two diagonal corners. The bearings supporting the
plate are mounted just at the corners. If it is then rotated at constant angular
frequency ω, find the torque that must be supplied by the bearings.

a
2a
g

9. A particle of mass m is bound to the origin by a force F~ = −k~r. The Lagrangian

of the system may therefore be taken to be,
1 1
L = m(ṙ2 + r2 φ̇2 ) − kr2 .
2 2
Show that circular orbits are stable.

10. A particle called a neutral pion π0 decays to two photons. Suppose the π0 has
some initial momentum in the lab in the x direction and one photon is detected
in the +x direction with energy E+ and the other in the −x direction with energy
E− . From these observations, what is the speed of the pion in the lab?
Mechanics Prelim Fall Semester 2014 1

Preliminary Examination: Mechanics

Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of New Mexico
Fall Semester 2014
Instructions:
• the exam consists of 10 problems, 10 points each;
• partial credit will be given if merited;
• no notes!
• total time is 3 hours

1. A uniform rod of length ` and mass m stands vertically upright on a smooth floor
and then tips over. Assuming the surface is frictionless, what is the rod’s angular
velocity when it hits the floor?

2. A system consisting of two pucks of equal mass m and connected by a mass-

less spring (with spring constant k) is initially at rest on a horizontal, friction-
less table with the spring at it’s uncompressed length. One mass is then given
an essentially instantaneous impulse J perpendicular to the direction connect-
ing the masses. Write an equation for the minimum and maximum length of
the spring in the subsequent motion. You need not solve this equation for the
maximum length of the spring, but what is the minimum length? Make a quali-
tative sketch showing a graphical solution for the maximum length of the spring.
Mechanics Prelim Fall Semester 2014 2

3. A rocket (starting from rest) moves in free space and ejects exhaust with constant
relative veolcity vex . Find the velocity of the rocket as a function of mass m, given
its intial mass m0 . How does this result depend on the rate dm/dt at which the
exhaust is ejected?

4. Consider a frictionless rigid horizontal hoop of radius R. Onto this hoop are
threaded three beads with masses 2m, m, and m. Each pair of beads is con-
nected by three identical √springs,
√ each with force constant k. Show that the
normal frequencies are 0, 2ω0 , 3ω0 . Explain the physical significance of the
zero frequency mode.
Mechanics Prelim Fall Semester 2014 3

5. The New Mexico RailrunnerT M commuter train is equipped with an ac-

celerometer to measure the smoothness of the ride. The device consists
of a mass m hanging from a spring with stiffness constant k: When the
train is at rest, the mass experiences the constant acceleration of gravity g.
When the train moves along the tracks, however, the acceleration g(t) =
g + g 0 sin Ωt changes sinusoidally in time with a frequency Ω and an am-
plitude g 0 . After the train has been moving for some time, the q mass as-
sumes a steady state oscillation at the frequency Ω. If Ω 6= k/m what
is the displacement x of the mass as a function of time t in steady state?

g(t)
Mechanics Prelim Fall Semester 2014 4

6. A small mass m1 slides without friction on a level surface. It is connected by a

string through a tiny hole in the plane to a second mass m2 that is hanging below
the plane. Initially, the first mass is given an an angular velocity ω0 so that it
moves in a circular trajectory of radius r0 and angular momentum ` = m1 r02 ω0 .
If the second mass is now given a small displacement in the vertical direction, the
system oscillates with a frequency . Starting with the radial equation of motion,

`2
(m1 + m2 )r̈ = − m2 g
m1 r3
show that s
3m1
Ω = ω0
m1 + m2

m1

m2

7. Evidence for dark matter comes from “flat” rotation curves of galaxies. Assume
that the observed matter moves in circular orbits about the center of the galaxy
and that the velocity of the matter as a function of the radius v(r) is a constant.
Also assume the motion of the observed matter is purely due to the gravity of
the dark matter (mass of luminous matter is negligible) and the dark matter is
distributed with spherical symmetry about the center of the galaxy. What is the
density ρ(r) of the dark matter as a function of radius?
Mechanics Prelim Fall Semester 2014 5

8. In the conical pendulum below, the bob has a mass m, the massless
string has a length L, and the bob follows a circular path of radius r.
What are a) the tension in the string τ , and b) the period of motion T ?
Mechanics Prelim Fall Semester 2014 6

9. A bead of mass m slides freely on a vertical hoop that of radius R that is ro-
tated with constant angular velocity ω about the vertical direction (see figure).
Write a Lagrangian for the system in terms of the generalized coordinate θ.

θ m
g

10. The principle of the synchrotron proton accelerator is to keep the beam radius
constant by increasing the strength of the magnetic field with increasing particle
momentum. In order to accomplish this, the beam frequency must be known
as a function of proton momentum. Derive this equation. Neglect proton
synchrotron radiation. Check that in the limit of p >> mc the frequency
becomes independent of the proton momentum.
Mechanics Prelim Fall Semester 2015 1

Preliminary Examination: Mechanics

Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of New Mexico
Fall Semester 2015
Instructions:
• the exam consists of 10 problems, 10 points each;
• partial credit will be given if merited;
• no notes! but calculator yes
• total time is 3 hours

1. Starting with Kepler’s 2nd law and Newton’s law of gravity, derive the orbital
period T as a function of the orbital radius r, the mass of the sun and Newton’s
G. Assume orbits are circular. Show that this is a simplified form of Kepler’s 3nd
law.

2. Consider an attractive central force F (r) = −k/r3 where r is the distance to the
origin. Obtain the equation for the orbit. Show that there is no stable equilibrium
for any value of `.
Mechanics Prelim Fall Semester 2015 2

3. A system consisting of two pucks of equal mass m and connected by a

massless spring (with spring constant k and un-stretched length r0 ) is ini-
tially at rest on a horizontal, frictionless table with the spring at it’s un-
compressed length. One mass is then given an essentially instantaneous im-
pulse I perpendicular to the direction connecting the masses. Find the ef-
fective potential and use it to show that in the subsequent motion r is
never less than r0 (i.e. r0 is one of the turning points of the motion).

4. Consider a one dimensional simple harmonic oscillator with angular frequency

ω and amplitude A. The oscillator spends more time near it’s turning points at
x = ±A then at its equilibrium point at x = 0. Show this by obtaining an
expression for the fraction of a complete period that the oscillator spends within
a small interval between x and x + ∆x. Prove that this time interval is finite in
the neighborhood of the turning point.

5. Find the height above the center of the billiard ball at which the ball should be
struck so that it will roll with no initial slipping. Assume that the cue delivers a
horizontal impulse to the ball.

6. The average rate at which solar radiant energy reaches Earth is approximately
1.4 kW/m2 . Assume that all this energy results from the conversion of mass to
energy. Calculate the rate at which the solar mass is being lost, and use this
result to estimate of the lifetime of the sun, in years. (The earth’s orbital radius
is 1.5 × 1011 m and the solar mass 2 × 1030 kg )
Mechanics Prelim Fall Semester 2015 3

7. Consider the electron capture reaction of an electron by argon, where both argon
atom and electron are assumed to be at rest, which yields a chlorine atom and a
neutrino:
e− + 37 37
18 Ar → 17 Cl + νe

The atomic masses (which include the bound electrons) are: 3718 Ar = 36.966776 u,
37 −4
17 Cl = 36.965903 u, the electron mass is 5.485799 × 10 u and you can take
mνe c2 = 0 eV. The atomic mass unit u = 931.5 MeV/c2 . What are the final
kinetic energies of the neutrino (νe ) and the chlorine atom in eV?

8. Consider a two dimensional elastic scattering problem that would be ap-

plied to colliding pucks (radius R) on an ice rink (i.e. frictionless horizontal
plane). Further assume that the surfaces of the pucks are frictionless. Show
that the relation between the impact parameter b and the scattering angle
θ is b/R = cos (θ/2) where the impact parameter is defined as the distance be-
tween a line throuth the center of one puck in the direction of the relative
velocity and a parallel line through the point of contact as in the figure be-
low. Derive the differential cross section dσ/dθ in terms of the impact param-
eter R and the scattering angle θ. Show that the total cross section is 2R.

9. Consider a very long string under tension τ that has a mass density discontinuity
at the middle of the string ( µq1 for x < 0 and µ2 for x > 0 ), Define the ratio of
wave numbers as r = k2 /k1 = µ2 /µ1 . Find the value of r for which the transmis-
sion coefficient T is a maximum (rmax ) and the value of T at rmax . Recall that the
transmission coefficient T and reflection coefficient R satisfy R + T = 1. Sketch
the transmission coefficient T (r) being careful to show rmax and the qualitative
behavior at r = 0 and r → ∞.
Mechanics Prelim Fall Semester 2015 4

10. A lawn sprinkler is made from a half-spherical cap (max angle θ = 45◦ , radius a)
with a large number of identical holes, with density n(θ). Determine n(θ) such
that the water is uniformly sprinkled over a circular area. The bottom of the half-
spherical cap is level with the lawn. Assume that the size of the cap is negligible
compared to the size of the lawn to be watered and neglect air resistance.
 Preliminary Examination: Classical Mechanics
Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of New Mexico

Spring 2005

Instructions:
• The exam consists two parts: 5 short answers (6 points each) and your pick of 2
out 3 long answer problems (35 points each).
• Where possible, show all work, partial credit will be given.
• Personal notes on two sides of a 8X11 page are allowed.
• Total time: 3 hours
Good luck!

Short answers:
S1. Two cylinders having radii R1 and R2 and rotational inertias I1 and I2 about their central axes
are supported by axels perpendicular to the plane of the figure below. The large cylinder is
initially rotating clockwise with angular velocity ω0. The small cylinder is moved to the right
until it touches the large cylinder and is caused to rotate by the frictional force between them.
Eventually, slipping ceases, and the two cylinders rotate at constant rates in opposite directions.
Find the final angular velocity ω2 of the small cylinder in terms of R1, R2, I1, I2 and ω0.

I1 I2
ω0
R1 R2
S2. A 100kg sign hangs from a 20kg mast
by two (massless) wires 1m and 3m from the
wall. The mast is fixed to the wall, but is
allowed to rotate about its fixed point. To
30o
keep the sign from falling, a cable is attached
to its end (4m from the wall) at an angle of
30 degrees. How much force is pulling on This sign’s
the wall where the cable is attached? mass is
100kg

S3. The forward cannon of an A10 Warthog (fighter jet) fires 3900 rounds per minute of rounds
each weighing approximately 2.5kg. The muzzle velocity of the rounds are approximately 1100
meters/second. What extra force must be supplied by the planes’ engines to keep the plane from
slowing while it fires?
S4. Suppose that the earth was an infinite flat slab of thickness t with the same density
ρ ( r ) = ⎛⎜ 6.0 × 10 3 3 ⎞⎟ . Calculate t in order that the this flat earth has the same acceleration
kg
⎝ m ⎠
due to gravity at the surface. Take G = 6.67 x 10-11Nm2/kg2.

S5. A simple harmonic oscillator with a damping force has an equation of motion:
&x& + 2 βx + ω 02 x = 0 . Discuss the motion of the oscillator under the following conditions:

a) β = 0
b) 0 < β2 << ω02
c) β2 = ω02
d) β2 > ω02
Long Answers: Pick two out of three problems below

L1. A thin uniform hoop of radius R and mass M is allowed to oscillate in its own plane with one
point P of the hoop fixed. Attached to the hoop is a point mass M (equal to the mass of the hoop)
constrained to move without friction along the hoop as shown in the figure. The system is in a
uniform gravitational field g.

Consider only small oscillations such that P

θ1 and θ2 << 1.
R
θ1
a) Write down the kinetic and potential energies M g
of the system in terms of θ1 and θ2. Take the zero θ2
of the potential at point P.
M
b) Determine the normal mode frequencies ω1 and ω2.

c) The hoop is held in place such that θ1 = 0, and the

mass is moved such that θ2 > 0, then released. Describe
the subsequent motion as quantitatively as possible.
L2. A bead may slide, without friction, on a circular hoop of radius R that is rotated about its
vertical diameter with a constant angular velocity ω – see Fig. below. Taking into account the
uniform gravity field:

a) Write down the kinetic energy K of the bead, its potential energy U, full energy E = K + U, and
the Lagrangian L = K – U, as functions of angle θ of bead deviation from the lowest point.

∂L
b) Find the Hamiltonian H = θ& − L , where θ& = dθ / dt is the generalized velocity
∂θ&
corresponding to the coordinate θ of this system. Is H equal to E? Is H conserved in time? Is
energy conserved? Comment on this situation.

c) Use the Lagrangian to write the explicit equation of motion for θ (t ). Find the fixed point(s) θ 0
corresponding to bead equilibrium. Find the condition on ω for the existence on non-trivial fixed
point(s) θ 0 ≠ 0.

d) Find the frequency Ω of small oscillations about each fixed point. Are all Ω2 always positive?
If not, interpret the result.
ω

R g

m
θ
L3. A uniform thin plank of mass M and length 2L is resting on a frictionless floor and leaning
against a frictionless vertical wall. It is held steady by a massless string connecting the lower end
of the plank to the base of the wall. The angle between the floor and the plank is θ0. Let g denote
the acceleration due to gravity.

a) Calculate the tension in the string.

b) Calculate the moment of inertia of the plank about a rotation axis that is perpendicular to the
length of the plank and passing through the center of the plank. Ignore the thickness and width of
the plank in this calculation.

For parts (c) and (d), assume that the string is cut at time t = 0, and the lower end of the plank is
constrained to remain in contact with the floor at all times during the fall.

c) Calculate the acceleration of the upper end of the plank immediately after the string is cut.

d) Calculate the angle θ at which the upper end of the plank first separates from the wall.
Mechanics Prelim Spring 2006 1

Preliminary Examination: Mechanics

Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of New Mexico
Spring 2006
Instructions:
• the exam consists of 10 problems, 10 points each;
• partial credit will be given if merited;
• personal notes on two sides of 8 × 11 page are allowed;
• total time is 3 hours

1. In a freshman physics demonstration, two carts are held at rest on an air track
with a compressed spring between them. When the carts are released, the spring
releases an energy E0 . If carts one and two have masses of m1 , m2 respectively,
what is the speed of cart one?

2. Consider a system of two identical masses (m) connected by a spring (constant

k) which is constrained to move along the direction connecting the two masses,
but can move freely along that direction. At t = 0 mass 1 is at rest and mass
two has a velocity ~v = v2 (0)x̂ and the spring at its unstretched length. What is
the velocity of mass 1 as a function of time t for t > 0?

3. A mass attached to a rigid rod of length ` rotates in a vertical plane with constant
angular speed ω. What is the magnitude of the force that must be applied to the
mass by the rod as a function of angle θ? Take θ = 0 to be the vertical direction.

θ

g
Mechanics Prelim Spring 2006 2

4. Consider a uniform density spherical shell of total mass M and inner radius a,
outer radius b. Calculate the force on a test particle (mass mt ) everywhere from
0 < r < ∞.

b
a r

5. A particle of mass m slides without friction on a bent wire subject to the force
of gravity. Taking the vertical direction to be ẑ and the horizontal direction to
be x̂, the shape of the wire is given by z = ax2 /2. Write the Lagrangian taking
x as the generalized coordinate.

z

g

6. Consider an Atwood machine with masses m1 , m2 and with pully of mass m3 and
radius R. Find the equation of motion for m1 .

M3
R

M1

M
2
Mechanics Prelim Spring 2006 3

7. A simple pendulum (mass m, length l) is emersed in a viscous fluid, giving rise

to a resistive force proportional to the velocity of the pendulum bob,

F~res = −2mβ~v

Show that the motion of the system valid for small angles is of the form,

θ(t) = e−βt (AeiΩt + Be−iΩt ),

For what values of the parameters will the pendulum be lightly damped? For
light damping, what is θ(t) if the pendulum is released from rest at angle θ0 ?

8. A particle of mass m is bound to the origin by a force F~ = −kr̂. The Lagrangian

of the system may therefore be taken to be,
1 1
L = m(ṙ2 + r2 φ̇2 ) − kr2 .
2 2
Show that circular orbits are stable.

9. A cylinder of radius r and height ` is rotated about its center of mass with fixed
angular velocity ω
~ . The angular velocity ω ~ makes an angle θ with respect to
the cylinder’s axis (see figure). The moment of inertia tensor for the cylinder
1
in body-centered coordinates is diagonal with eigenvalues Ixx = Iyy = 12 m`2 ,
1 2
Izz = 2 mr . What is the magnitude of the torque required to keep the cylinder
rotating with this angular velocity?

Z θ ω

10. A particle called a neutral pion π0 (rest energy mπ c2 ) decays to two photons.
Suppose the π0 has some initial momentum in the lab p~ = px̂ and one photon is
detected in the +x direction with energy E+ and the other in the −x direction
with energy E− . From these observations, what is the speed of the pion in the
lab?
Mechanics Prelim January 12, 2007 p.1

Preliminary Examination: Mechanics

Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of New Mexico
Spring 2007
Instructions:
• the exam consists of 10 problems, 10 points each;
• partial credit will be given if merited;
• personal notes on two sides of 8 × 11 page are allowed;
• total time is 3 hours.

1. A ball of mass m is thrown from the origin with initial velocity v0 and inclination
angle θ as shown in the figure (note gravity acts in the −y direction). Neglecting
air-friction, what is the range of the projectile (distance it travels in the x direction
when it returns to height y = 0?

2. Consider a spherical, non-rotating planet of uniform density with radius R and

mass M . A straight hole is drilled through the center of the planet. If a small
test mass is dropped through the hole, show that in the absence of friction the
test mass will undergo simple harmonic motion and find the period of the motion
in terms of the given parameters and Newton’s gravitational constant G.
3. Consider the central-force motion of a planet about the sun. Show that conser-
vation of angular momentum implies Kepler’s second law, ”Equal areas in equal
time”.
4. Consider the motion of two point-particles having masses m1 and m2 and at-
tracted to one another by a central force. Write a Lagrangian for the system in
terms of coordinates for m1 and m2 with respect to a fixed origin. Define coordi-
nates for the center of mass and relative motions, and show that your Lagrangian
separates. Prove that the total momentum is conserved.
5. For classical scattering from a hard sphere of radius R, the relation between
impact parameter b and the scattering angle θ is b = R cos (θ/2). Find the
differential cross section.
Mechanics Prelim January 12, 2007 p.2

6. Two beads of mass m are attached to a wire of negligible mass stretched between
fixed endpoints . Find the equations of motion, normal modes, and freqencies
of oscillations for small displacements from equilibrium in the x direction. The
masses are equally spaced along the wire as shown in the figure and the tension
in the wire is T .

7. A nucleus of mass M is initial at rest. It undergoes α decay to a daughter

nucleus of mass MD > mα . The decay releases an energy Q << mα c2 . Assuming
all of this energy is released as kinetic energy of the daughter and the α particle,
determine the kinetic energy of the α particle.
8. Consider a uniform rectangular flat plate with mass m and sides of length a, b.
The thickness of the plate is negligible. The plate lies in the x − y plane as shown
in the figure. Consider the moments of the inertia tensor with respect to the
given coordinate system. Find the moments of the inertia tensor in the x − y
plane: Ixx , Ixy , Iyx , Iyy

9. A uniform rigid rod of length ` is pivoted about a horizontal axis at a distance

`/4 from the end so that it is free to rotate in the vertical plane under the force
of gravity. Write a Lagrangian for the system.

10. Prove that the absorption of a photon by a free electron (e + γ → e) cannot

occur.
Mechanics Prelim January 18, 2008 p. 1

Preliminary Examination: Mechanics

Department of Physics and Astronomy

University of New Mexico
Spring 2008

Instructions:
• The exam consists of 10 problems, 10 points each;
• Partial credit will be given if merited;
• Personal notes on two sides of an 8 x 11 page are allowed;
• Total time is 3 hours.

1. A king commissions two crowns. They are supposed to be identical and when
weighed have identical mass, but the king suspects that one of them is only gold plated
and not solid gold. Describe a non-destructive experiment to determine if the two crowns
are identical in composition.

2. A car traveling at 30 kph goes into a corner with a radius of curvature of 150 m. If the
road is icy (no friction), what angle (in degrees) does the road have to be banked at in
order for the car not to go into the ditch on either side of the road?

3. Consider a moon of mass m going around a planet of mass M and radius R. with some
angular velocity, ω. The orbital radius for the moon is r. Show that if tidal forces act to
slow down the rotation of the planet, the orbital radius, r, for the moon must increase.
You can ignore the rotation of the moon. Hint: the moment of inertia for a sphere is
I = 2/5 MR2.

4. Consider a mass attached to two walls by springs of constants

k1 and k2 (see figure), and sitting on a frictionless surface.
Derive the frequency of oscillation ω for a displacement in the
direction of compression of either spring (i.e., along the x axis).

5. A galaxy is observed to have the Hydrogen Hα line (rest wavelength 6563 angstroms)
at 7111 angstroms. What is its relative velocity to us in km/s? Is the galaxy approaching
or receding?
Mechanics Prelim January 18, 2008 p. 2

6. A hoop of mass, m, and radius R rolls without slipping down a plane as shown in the
figure below. A massless spring is attached to a massless axle. Write a Lagrangian for
the system and use it to derive the equation of motion in the y coordinate.

7. Show that for a planet in a circular orbit around a star, the velocity needed for the
planet to escape from the star is just sqrt(2) times the orbital velocity.

8. A hula hoop of mass, m, and radius R, is suspended on a nail and is free to pivot about
that point. Find the period of oscillation for small (harmonic) oscillations. You can
ignore the thickness of the hoop.
Mechanics Prelim January 18, 2008 p. 3

9. Starting with Kepler’s 2nd law which can be written as dA/dt = L/2m where A is the
area swept out by the orbit of an object of mass, m, orbiting a body of mass M, and L is
the angular momentum, derive the period of rotation, P, as a function of the radius r,
assuming a circular orbit. Show that this is a simplified form of Kepler’s 3rd law.

10. A free neutron at rest decays into a proton and an electron and an electron anti-
neutrino. The rest masses for a neutron, a proton, and an electron are, m_n = 939.565
MeV/c2, m_p = 938.272 MeV/c2, and m_e = 0.511 MeV/c2. Assuming that for the
moment we ignore the anti-neutrino, find (a) the total energy released by the decay; (b)
the kinetic energy carried away by the proton and (c) the kinetic energy carried away by
the electron. Justify any approximations you make to obtain a solution.
 Preliminary Examination: Classical Mechanics
Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of New Mexico
Spring, 2009

Instructions:
· The exam consists of 10 problems, 10 points each.
· Where possible, show all work; partial credit will be given if merited.
· Personal notes on two sides of an 8 21 × 11 page are allowed.
· Total time is 3 hours.

1. A large rectangular block of wood, with mass M = 10 kg, is being pushed across a horizontal,
frictionless floor by a horizontal force of magnitude F = 24 Newtons. On top of the block of wood
is a smaller object, of mass m = 2 kg, with a fairly slippery surface between the two, which can
be characterized by saying that the coefficient of sliding friction between them is only µ = 0.1
What is the direction and magnitude of the force of friction between the two objects, and what
is the relative acceleration of the two objects?

2. The United Nations Air Force has just deflected an asteroid that was headed toward collision
with the Earth. Its course has been changed so that now it is headed directly toward the Sun,
with a speed of 5 km/sec, as it leaves the orbit of the Earth. When it arrives at the orbit of Venus,
what will be its speed. Take the radii of the orbits of Earth and Venus to be 1 AU and 0.72 AU,
and the gravitational “pull” of the sun, namely GMsun = (2π)2 AU3 /yr2 , while the conversion
factor 1 AU/yr = 4.74 km/sec would probably be useful.
3. A damped harmonic oscillator could be described by some single coordinate, say x = x(t), which
would satisfy the differential equation

ẍ + 2β ẋ + ω02 x = 0 .

A particular such oscillator has period τ0 = 1.000 seconds when there is no damping. However,
when some particular amount of damping is added to it the period changes to τ1 = 1.001 seconds.
(Note that we define the period as the time between successive maxima of x(t).) Calculate the
damping factor, β, and determine the decrease in the amplitude of oscillation after 10 cycles.

4. Two metal spheres are suspended by cords hanging from the ceiling, so that they are just touching
when they are at rest, and hanging vertically downward. The one sphere has mass m1 = 2 kg,
while the other one has mass m2 = 3 kg. The smaller sphere is swung to one side, to a (vertical)
height of 10 cm above where it was hanging before, and then released. What is the velocity of
the other sphere just after they collide? Assuming the collision was completely elastic, to what
height will the second sphere rise?

5. A stationary space station can be approximated as a hollow spherical shell, with mass m = 104
kg, and inner and outer radii of 8 meters and 9 meters. To change the orientation of the station,
a uniform solid disk used as a flywheel (of radius 10 cm and mass 10 kg) is located at the center
of the ship, and is spun up quickly from rest to 1000 rpm. How long will it take the station to

2
 rotate by 10 degrees? How much energy will be needed for the entire operation? [Note that the
moment of inertia of a solid sphere is 25 mR2 .]

6. Two carts are shown, of equal masses. They are connected by a spring, and the left-hand one is
connected by an identical spring to the wall. Find and describe each of the normal frequencies of
oscillation, and sketch all the motions.

7. A certain mass, m, is subject to gravity and other forces in such a way that its equation of
motion may be given as
`2
2mr̈ = − mg ,
mr3
where g and ` are constants.
a. Determine an equilibrium position, r0 , for the coordinate r for this mass, as a function of `,
m and g.
b. If the mass is put at a point near that equilibrium position, so that r = r0 + ², it will oscillate
about the equilibrium position for small values of ². What will be the frequency of that
oscillation?

8. Near the surface of our rotating earth, a moving object is subject to centrifugal and Coriolis
forces as well as the usual gravitational force. We propose to consider the motion of a ship on
the ocean at North latitude 30◦ , where we can write out Newton’s equations as

~¨r = 2~r˙ × Ω
~ ,

where Ω~ is the angular velocity of the earth. Taking a local set of basis vectors, as used in the
ship’s cabin, which we may describe as “East,” “North,” and “Up,” what is the form of Ω, ~ and
what is the magnitude and direction of the Coriolis acceleration of the ship, if its velocity is 5
m/sec in the eastward direction?

3
 9. A particular system with one degree of freedom has the Hamiltonian given by

H = 12 p2 + p sin ψ ,

where the variable ψ is an angle, so that it is restricted to lie between −π and +π, and the conju-
gate momentum p has been normalized to be dimensionless. Find the (Hamiltonian) equations of
motion for the system, the Lagrangian, which is L(ψ, ψ̇), and the Lagrangian equations of motion.

10. Consider a bead of mass m sliding without friction on a wire that is bent in the shape of a
parabola, and is being spun with constant velocity ω about its vertical axis, as shown in the
figure. Use cylindrical coordinates, {ρ, φ, z}, and let the equation of the parabola be z = kρ2 .
Write down the Lagrangian in terms of ρ as the generalized coordinate. Find the equation of
motion of the bead, and determine whether there are positions of equilibrium. Discuss their
stability.

4
 Preliminary Examination: Classical Mechanics
Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of New Mexico
Spring 2010

Instructions:
The exam consists of 10 problems (10 points each).
Where possible, show all work; partial credit will be given if merited.
Personal notes on two sides of an 8 11 page are allowed.
Total time: 3 hours.

————————————————————————————————
Unless otherwise noted, commonly used symbols are de…ned as follows:‘

x_: Rate of change of position x with time.

x
• : Rate of change of velocity x_ with time.
t: Time
x(0) : Initial position
x(0)
_ : Initial velocity
L : Lagrangian
r: Radius
: Polar angle in xy plane
: Azimuthal angle
x
^ : Unit vector in the x direction.

1
 ————————————————————————————————

P1. A geostationary orbit (or Geostationary Earth Orbit - GEO) is an

orbit directly above the Earth’s equator (0 latitude), with a period equal to
the Earth’s rotational period and an orbital eccentricity of approximately zero.
Geostationary objects appear motionless in the sky from points on the surface
of the earth, making the GEO an orbit of great interest to operators of commu-
nications and weather satellites.
Calculate the radius of a GEO satellite. Express your answer as a multiple
of the Earth’s radius RE .

2
 P2. A photon with initial momentum p collides with a free electron having
a mass m that is initially at rest. If the electron and photon recoil in opposite
directions, what will be the change in the photon’s wavelength? (Hint: use
relativistic forms for energy and momentum.)

3
 P3. The relative velocity u between a rocket and its ejected exhaust gas is
a constant. Consider launching a rocket in the vertical direction. If the initial
mass of the rocket is M0 ; at what minimum rate must exhaust mass be ejected
so that the rocket will experience an upward acceleration?

4
 P4. A particle of mass m moves in three dimensions. A Lagrangian govern-
ing its dynamics is given by
1 2 2
L= m r2 _ + r2 _ sin2 mgr cos
2
where r; ; and are the radius, azimuthal angle, and polar angle, in spherical
coordinates, and g is a constant. Write down the associated equations of mo-
tion. Describe and sketch a physical system for which this is an appropriate
Lagrangian.

5
 P5. Consider a single particle with mass m that is con…ned to a rectangular
container having sides of length Lx ; Ly ; and Lz : The particle moves with an
initial velocity ~v0 = hv0x ; v0y ; v0z i : The vector components will change in sign,
but not in magnitude, because collisions with the walls are elastic. A transducer
records the force Fx (t) exerted on the right hand face whenever the particle
makes a collision. A sketch of Fx versus t is shown in the …gure below. Calculate
the average force on the right hand face, and determine the pressure.

6
 P6. The picture shows a rotating platform that serves as a playground
merry go round. The platform rotates on low-friction bearings about its center
axis. It has a radius of 2.0 meters, and its moment of inertia about the center
axis is 200 kg m2 :

Suppose that the platform is given an initial rotation rate of 1.0 radians per
second. A small dense brick having a mass of 50 kg, initially at rest, is then
placed on the platform at a distance of 0.5 meters from the rotation axis. The
brick initially slides, but eventually stops sliding at a distance 1.0 m from the
axis. How many Joules of mechanical energy are converted to heat?

7
 P7. Consider a planet of mass m orbiting the sun with mass M: In the plane
of the orbit, the planet’s motion is described by the two coupled equations,

d2 r GM m `2
m = + ; (1)
dt2 r 2 mr3
d
mr2 = `; (2)
dt
where r; are polar coordinates locating the planet with respect to the sun, G
is the gravitational constant, and ` is a constant. With the aid of eq. (2) one
2
` 2 2 d2 u
can write ddt2r = m u d 2 ; where u ( ) = 1=r ( ) describes the trajectory in
the orbital plane.
Using this result, show that eq. (1) can be written as,

`2 d2 u `2
= GM m + u:
md 2 m
Noting that `; m; M , and G are all constants, solve this equation explicitly and
show that this describes a closed orbit.

8
 P8. An electron having mass m and charge e experiences viscous damping
as it moves along the x axis under the in‡uence of an ac electric …eld. Its motion
is described by a time-dependent Lagrangian

t 1 eE x_
L=e mx_ 2 + 2 2
( cos !t + ! sin !t) ;
2 ! +

where ; !; and E are positive constants. For initial conditions x(0) = x(0)
_ = 0;
…nd at least one constant of the motion, and obtain an expression for x(t)
_ that
describes the behavior at long times.

9
 P9. Two particles having the same mass m hang in series from two springs
having the same sti¤ness constant k; as shown in the …gure. What are the
frequencies of the two normal modes of vibration?

10
 P10. A sti¤ wire hoop of radius R is …xed in space, and there is no gravity.
A small bead with mass m slides along the hoop. The coe¢ cient of sliding
friction between the bead and the wire is 0:10: If the bead is given an initial
angular velocity of 10 revolutions/second, how long does it take for the bead to
coast around the hoop 10 times?

11
Mechanics Prelim Spring Semester 2011 1

Preliminary Examination: Mechanics

Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of New Mexico
Spring Semester 2011
Instructions:
• the exam consists of 10 problems, 10 points each;
• partial credit will be given if merited;
• personal notes on two sides of 8 × 11 page are allowed;
• total time is 3 hours

1. Consider a long thin rod of uniform density with length `, mass m and negligible
diameter. The rod is pivoted about ` = 1/3 and free to move in the vertical
plane under the force of gravity. Find the frequency of small oscillations for the
pendulum.

2. A mass moves in one dimension (call it x) subject to a viscous drag force Fd . It

starts at x = 0 with speed v0 . Take Fd = −bẋ, show that the mass does not come
to rest in any finite time. Find the limiting distance the mass moves.

3. Two masses a, b interact with an attractive central force F = −kr where r is

the separation of the masses. There are no other forces acting. Mass ma = m,
mb = m/4 and both masses are initially at rested separated by a distance r0 .
Some time later they collide. Define the positive x axis as starting from ma at
x = 0 and going through mb at x = r0 at t = 0.
(a) Where do they collide?
(b) What is their relative velocity just before they collide?

4. Evidence for dark matter comes from “flat” rotation curves of galaxies. Assume
Mechanics Prelim Spring Semester 2011 2

that the observed matter moves in circular orbits about the center of the galaxy
and that the velocity of the matter as a function of the radius v(r) is a constant.
Also assume the motion of the observed matter is purely due to the gravity of
the dark matter (mass of luminous matter is negligible) and the dark matter is
distributed with spherical symmetry about the center of the galaxy. What is the
density ρ(r) of the dark matter as a function of radius?

5. a) Derive Kepler’s second (“equal areas in equal times”) law.

b) Derive Kepler’s third (period2 ∝ semi-major axis3 ) law for the special case of
circular orbits.

6. The principle of the synchrotron proton accelerator is to keep the beam radius
constant by increasing the strength of the magnetic field with increasing particle
momentum. In order to accomplish this, the beam frequency must be known as a
function of proton momentum. Derive this relation. Neglect proton synchrotron
radiation. Check that in the limit of p >> mc the frequency becomes a constant.
7. A door of uniform mass density and width a and height 2a is rotated about a
vertical axle through two diagonal corners. The bearings supporting the plate are
mounted just at the corners. If it is then rotated at constant angular frequency
ω, find the torque that must be supplied by the bearings.
Mechanics Prelim Spring Semester 2011 3

8. Consider a bead of mass m constrained to move on a circular wire hoop of radius

R. The hoop lies in the vertical plane and is rotated at constant angular velocity
ω about an axis through the center of the hoop. The bead slides without friction
on the hoop and is acted on by the force of gravity. Use the coordinate θ to
measure the polar angle from the bottom of the hoop, and the angle φ to measure
the azimuthal angle (φ̇ = ω). Write the Lagrangian for the system and find the
equation of motion for θ. Find the critical value of ω such that for ω < ωc the
point θ = 0 is a stable equilibrium.

9. Two masses are suspended by massless springs, one from the other in the vertical
direction. Both masses have mass m and both springs have constants k and un-
stretched length `0 . Find the normal modes and frequencies of oscillation for the
system.

10. Two pucks of mass m side freely on a horizontal plane. They are connected by a
spring (constant k and negligible un-stretched length) and set in circular motion
with angular momentum L. The pucks are given a small, simultaneous radial
poke. What is the frequency of subsequent radial oscillations?
 Preliminary Examination: Classical Mechanics
Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of New Mexico
Spring 2012

Instructions:
The exam consists of 10 short-answer problems (10 points each).
Where possible, show all work; partial credit will be given if merited.
Personal notes on two sides of an 8 11 page are allowed.
Total time: 3 hours.

Unless otherwise noted, commonly used symbols are de…ned as follows:‘

x_ : Rate of change of position x with time.

x• : Rate of change of velocity x_ with time.
t : Time
x(0) : Initial position
x(0)
_ : Initial velocity
L : Lagrangian
r : Radius
: Polar angle in xy plane
: Azimuthal angle
x^ : Unit vector in the x direction.

————————————————————————————————

1
 P1: A Lagrangian for a system consisting of two electrons, each with
mass m; is given by
2 2
d ~ m d e2
L=m R + ~r
dt 4 dt 4 0 j~rj

where R ~ = 1 (~r1 + ~r2 ) is the location of their center of mass, and ~r = ~r1 ~r2
2
is their relative displacement. Expand ~r in spherical coordinates, and R ~ in
Cartesian coordinates, and show that

m 2 2
_2 e2
L = m X_ 2 + Y_ 2 + Z_ 2 + r_ + r2 _ + r2 sin2 :
4 4 0r

Find up to 6 constants of the motion.

2
 P2: A mass m connected to a rigid wall by a spring with sti¤ness constant
k moves in the x direction in a viscous medium having a linear (Stokes)
damping coe¢ cient b. It is subjected to a periodic force F (t) = F0 cos ( t)
in the x-direction. Derive an expression for the position x(t) of the mass
in steady state, and …nd the amplitude when the oscillator is driven at its
resonant frequency.

3
 P3: Consider two masses m1 = 10m0 and m2 = 6m0 coupled to each
other and to a rigid wall by two springs with sti¤ness constants 20k0 and
15k0 ; as shown in the …gure. Find the
p frequencies of the normal modes,
expressing them as multiples of ! 0 = k0 =m0 .

4
 P4: A pendulum consists of a mass m that swings from the ceiling on
the end of a stretchy piece of chewing gum. Initially the length of the gum is
`0 ; but this increases linearly with t; under the weight of the mass, such that
`(t) = `0 + mgt=b, where b is the gum’s viscoelastic damping coe¢ cient. The
displacement of the pendulum from the vertical is measured by the angle ,
as shown in the …gure. Show that, for small angles, the evolution of is
governed by the second order di¤erential equation,

•+ 2mg _ gb
+ = 0:
b`0 + mgt b`0 + mgt
.

5
 P5. A thin pencil with length 20 cm is balanced on a desk top, standing
on its point so that its angle of inclination with respect to the vertical is
nearly zero. A small perturbation is su¢ cient to tip it over. Suppose that
initially, (0) = 1 10 17 radians and _ (0) = 0. Assuming that the pencil
point remains …xed, in how many seconds will it tip over on its side, through
an angle of 90 degrees?
Hint: The following integral, accurate for 0 < 0:01; may be useful:
Z =2 p
d
p ' 2 ln 0 + 1:695
0 cos 0 cos

6
 P6. A particle with mass m and charge q moves in a uniform magnetic
~ = B z^: Write a Lagrangian describing the motion of the particle in
…eld B
the xy plane that gives the correct Lorentz-force equation of motion,

m ~a = q ~v ~
B:

7
 P7. According to speci…cations, the …ve Saturn V booster engines collec-
tively supplied a lifto¤ thrust of 34 106 N. The speci…c impulse* was 2580
N-s/kg. The initial mass of the rocket was 3:0 106 kg. Given these speci…-
cations, what was the exhaust velocity, and what was the total acceleration,
including the acceleration of gravity, felt by the astronauts on lifto¤ (in g’s)?
*The speci…c impulse is the ratio of the thrust to the rate of consumption
of propellant. It is nearly constant.

8
 P8. A mass m moving in a circular orbit about the origin is attracted
by a three dimensional harmonic potential,
1
U (r) = kr2
2
What is the frequency of the orbit? If a small kick is supplied in the radial
direction, what will be the frequency of the ensuing small oscillations in r?

9
 P9: A marble with mass m and radius r rolls without slipping on a
stationary circular track of radius R …xed in the plane of the vertical, as
shown in the …gure below. Show that the force of friction f between the
marble and the track is given by
2
f = mg sin ;
7
provided that the marble does not lose contact with the track.

10
 P10. A cord of length ` and uniform mass density is attached to the
ceiling by one end, at x = 0: The other end passes through a tiny hole in
a rigid plate, directly below at x = `; as shown in the …gure. A mass M
hangs from the lower end of the cord in order to keep it taut. Write down an
expression that describes the tension in the cord as a function of x: Suppose
that at a time t = 0 the cord is given a small perpendicular displacement
u(x) along its length. Show that the linear partial di¤erential equation,

@2u @2u @u
= (M g + g (` x)) g ;
@t2 @x2 @x
describes the subsequent evolution of the transverse wave u(x; t):

11
 Preliminary Examination: Classical Mechanics
Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of New Mexico
Spring 2013

Instructions:
The exam consists of 10 problems (10 points each).
Where possible, show all work; partial credit will be given if merited.
Personal notes on two sides of an 8 11 page are allowed.
Total time: 3 hours.

————————————————————————————————

1
 P1. For a rescue mission, a spaceship is required to hover at a constant
height just above the surface of a planet where the acceleration of gravity is g.
If the speed of the exhaust is a constant u, and the initial mass of the rocket is
m0 , what should be the rate of ejected mass (t) = dm=dt to keep the ship
hovering at a time t?

2
 P2. Consider a mass connected to two identical springs, each with sti¤ness
constant k; as shown. The lengths of the springs are a, not necessarily the same
as the un-stretched lengths `0 . Find the potential Uy for displacement in the
y direction. Use the potential to derive the force Fy . Find an approximate
expression for Fy for small displacements y << a. Show that in the case a = `0
1=2
the force is proportional to y 3 . Note the Taylor series expansion (1 + x) '
1 x2 for x << 1:

3
 P3. A bead of mass m slides without friction on a rigid helical wire whose
axis is in the vertical z^ direction with gravity acting down. The helix is de…ned
by cylindrical coordinates ( ; ; z) with = a and z = ; where the radius a
and pitch are constants. Write a Lagrangian for the system, …nd the Euler-
Lagrange equation(s) of motion, and solve the equation(s) to determine z(t):
Assume that the mass is initially at rest, and z(0) = 0:

4
 P4. A simple pendulum is made of a rigid, massless rod of length ` at the
end of which hangs a point-mass m. The pendulum oscillates through a small
angle in the vertical plane. The mass experiences a damping force
1=2 _ ^
F~ = m (g`)

where _ is the pendulum angular velocity and is a positive, dimensionless

constant. Determine the value of for the pendulum to be critically damped.

5
 P5. Two bodies of equal mass m interact via a central Hooke’s law potential
U (r) = 12 kr2 where k is the sti¤ness constant, and r is the distance between
them. A Lagrangian describing the motion in the center of mass is
1 2 1 2
L= r_ 2 + r2 _ kr
2 2
where = m=2 is the reduced mass and is the angle in the plane of rotation.
Obtain expressions for the angular momentum ` and the energy E. Show that
the radial equation of motion describes a particle with mass moving in an
e¤ective potential
1 `2
Ue¤ (r) = kr2 + :
2 2 r2
For a given value of `, what is the radius that gives a circular orbit?

6
 P6. The relativistic Lagrangian for a mass that us subjected to a constant
force F in the x-direction is given by
s
2
2 x_
L = mc 1 F tx_
c

Use the fact that L is independent of x to …nd at least one constant of the
motion, and obtain an expression for the trajectory x(t). Take x(0) = x(0)
_ = 0:

7
 P7. A dumbbell consists of two masses m1 , m2 connected by a rigid, mass-
less rod of length a. The dumbbell is rotated in free space (no gravity) with
constant angular velocity !
~ about an axis through the center of the rod (point
O). The rotation axis makes a …xed angle of with respect to the dumbbell
axis. What is the magnitude and direction of the torque that is required at
point O? You might …nd the triple vector product identity useful:

~a ~b ~c = (~a ~c) ~b ~a ~b ~c

8
 P8. Consider a double pendulum in the limit of small oscillations, having
kinetic energy
1 2 2 2
T = m` 2 _1 + _2 + 2 _1 _2
2
and potential energy
1
U= mg` 2 21 + 2
2 :
2
Find the frequencies of the normal modes.

9
 P9. A particle with mass m is constrained to move on the surface of a
circular cone with its axis on the vertical z axis, vertex at the origin (pointing
down, in the direction of gravity), and half-angle . The particle moves without
friction. Write down a Lagrangian L in terms of the spherical polar coordinates
r; and . Use the constraint to eliminate the coordinate, and …nd the
Euler-Lagrange equations of motion for r and .

10
 P10. Consider a head-on collision between an electron with momentum p
and a photon with energy E in the ultra-relativistic limit in which the electron’s
rest energy mc2 is negligible in comparison to pc: Find the energy E 0 of the
photon after the collision.

11
Mechanics Prelim Spring Semester 2014 1

Preliminary Examination: Mechanics

Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of New Mexico
Fall Semester 2013
Instructions:
• sign in with your name and ID; put ID only on exam!
• the exam consists of 10 problems, 10 points each;
• partial credit will be given if merited;
• personal notes on two sides of 8 × 11 page are allowed; notes must be handed in with exam!
• total time is 3 hours

1. A toy rocket has an engine that loses mass linearly with time: dm/dt = −k with
k a positive constant. The relative velocity U between a rocket and its ejected
exhaust gas is a constant. The initial mass of the rocket is m0 . Since it is a toy, it
doesn’t go very high so the force of gravity remains constant. Find the minimum
exhaust speed U for the rocket to take off immediately when fired. Calculate the
velocity of the rocket as a function of time. Show that for sufficiently small time
the velocity increases linearly and find the proportionality constant.

2. The figure below shows a spherical hollow inside an otherwise solid lead sphere
of radius R. The surface of the hollow passes through the center of the sphere
and touches the right side of the sphere. The mass of the sphere before hollowing
was M. With what gravitational force does the hollowed out lead sphere attract
a small sphere of mass m that lies at a distance d from the center of the lead
sphere on a straight line connecting the centers of the sphere and the hollow?
Mechanics Prelim Spring Semester 2014 2

3. Two masses 2m and m are attached to each other by a massless spring with spring
constant k and and suspended from the ceiling by an identical spring (refer to
figure). Only vertical displacements are considered. Using coordinates z1 and z2
to describe the displacements from equilibrium of the upper and lower masses
respectively, the equations of motion are given by,

2mz¨1 + 2kz1 = kz2

mz¨2 + kz2 = kz1

Determine the normal modes and normal mode frequencies of this system.

4. A mass m moving in a circular orbit about the origin is attracted by a three

dimensional harmonic potential,
1
U (r) = kr2
2
Show that the angular frequency ω is independent of r. Write down the La-
grangian and find the radial equation of motion. If a small kick is applied in
the radial direction, show that the frequency of small oscillations in the radial
direction is 2ω.
Mechanics Prelim Spring Semester 2014 3

5. A bead may slide, without friction, on a circular hoop of radius R that is rotated
about its vertical diameter with a constant angular velocity ω (see Fig. below).
Taking into account the uniform gravity field write down the Lagrangian taking
the angle θ of bead deviation from the lowest point as the generalized coordinate.

6. A mass m moves on a frictionless table. It is tied to a string which runs through

a hole in the table. A mass M hangs from the other end ofthe string and acted
upon by gravity. M is constrained to move vertically.

(a) Choose appropriate coordinates and write a Lagrangian for the system.
(b) Describe the symmetries and conserved quantities.
(c) Find the solutions for which the height of mass M is constant.
Mechanics Prelim Spring Semester 2014 4

7. A neutron of kinetic energy 2 MeV collides head-on in an elastic collision with a

nuclei of mass number A which is initially at rest. What is the smallest energy
the neutron can have following the collision?

8. A particle of mass m collides with a fixed force center that acts on the mass
with a repulsive force of k/r2 . It has initial velocity v0 in the z direction
and impact parameter b. Find the distance of closest approach of the mass.

9. A laser with frequency ν is aimed at a mirror which moves towards it at a rel-

ativistic speed v. Use the Lorentz transformation to find the frequency ν 0 of
photons that are reflected directly back towards the laser (in the rest frame of
the laser).
Mechanics Prelim Spring Semester 2014 5

10. A cord of length ` and uniform mass density λ is attached to the ceiling by one
end, at x = 0. The other end passes through a tiny hole in a rigid plate, directly
below at x = ` as shown in the Figure. A mass M hangs from the lower end of
the cord in order to keep it taut. Write down an expression that describes the
tension in the cord as a function of x. Suppose that at a time t = 0 the cord is
given a small perpendicular displacement u(x, 0) along its length. Show that the
linear partial differential equation,

∂ 2u ∂ 2u ∂u
λ 2
= g [M + λ (` − x)] 2
− gλ
∂t ∂x ∂x
describes the subsequent evolution of the transverse wave u(x, t).
Mechanics Prelim Spring Semester 2015 1

Preliminary Examination: Mechanics

Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of New Mexico
Spring Semester 2015
Instructions:
• the exam consists of 10 problems, 10 points each;
• partial credit will be given if merited;
• no notes! but calculator yes
• total time is 3 hours

1. A rock of mass m0 sits at the bottom of a super-deep mine shaft that is 1/3 the
radius of the earth. Ignoring air friction, what is the minimum speed with which
the rock can be launched to reach the surface of the earth? (Make and state any
simplifying assumptions you make.) Express your answer as a ratio to the earth’s
escape velocity.

2. A spacecraft of mass m0 and cross-sectional area A is coasting with a velocity v0

when it encounters a stationary dust cloud of density ρ. Assuming that all the
dust sticks to the spacecraft and that A remains unchanged, find the subsequent
speed v(t) of the space craft.

3. In the Ice Capades (a show with performances involving ice skating) a golf ball
is hit (a putt) so that it slides frictionlessly on ice (speed 1 m/s) until it hits a
piece of green matting made to look like grass. After some time, it begins rolling
without slipping. (Recall that the numerical factor in the moment of inertia for
a sphere is 2/5.)
(a) What is the linear speed of the ball once it starts to roll without slipping (in
1 m/s) ?
(b) What fraction of the ball’s initial kinetic energy is dissipated (as heat)?
Mechanics Prelim Spring Semester 2015 2

4. A physical pendulum is made of rigid rods of negligible mass

in the shape of an isosceles triangle with two equal masses at-
tached as shown. Consider only motions in the plane of the tri-
angle. Find the frequency of small oscillations of the pendulum.
Mechanics Prelim Spring Semester 2015 3

5. The picture shows a rotating platform that serves as a playground merry go

round. The platform rotates on low-friction bearings about its center axis. It
has a moment of inertia about the center axis is I0 . Suppose that the platform is
given an initial rotation rate of ω0 radian per second. A small dense brick having
a mass of m, initially at rest, is then placed on the platform at a distance of r1
from the rotation axis. The brick initially slides, but eventually stops sliding at
a distance r2 (but still on the platform). How much mechanical energy (in terms
of the constants provided) is converted to heat?

6. A particle of mass m is bound to the origin by a force F~ = −k~r. The Lagrangian

of the system may therefore be taken to be,
1 1
L = m(ṙ2 + r2 φ̇2 ) − kr2 .
2 2
Show that circular orbits are stable.
Mechanics Prelim Spring Semester 2015 4

7. Two masses 2m and m are attached to each other by a massless spring with spring
constant k and and suspended from the ceiling by an identical spring (refer to
figure). Only vertical displacements are considered. Using coordinates z1 and z2
to describe the displacements from equilibrium of the upper and lower masses
respectively, the equations of motion are given by,

2mz¨1 + 2kz1 = kz2

mz¨2 + kz2 = kz1

(a) Determine normal frequencies of this system.

(b) Find the normal coordinates in terms of z1 and z2 .

8. A long string of linear density λ is under tension T. A point mass m is rigidly

attached at a particular point on the string. A wave of angular frequency ω is
incident from the left. What fraction of the incident energy is reflected by the
point mass?

9. A bead of mass m moves smoothly (negligible friction) along a stiff wire bent in
the shape if a helix z = αRφ (φ is the azimuthal angle) under the influence of
gravity. Find the equation of motion for z(t).
Mechanics Prelim Spring Semester 2015 5

10. Ultra-high energy protons (p) propagating through the universe interact with the
cosmic-microwave background photons (γ). What is the proton energy for the
resonance (N ? ) process
p + γ → N?
where mN ? c2 = 1240 MeV, mp c2 = 940 MeV and the mean CMB photon energy
is 10−4 eV?
 Preliminary Examination: Classical Mechanics
Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of New Mexico
Winter 2016

Instructions:
 The exam consists of 10 problems (10 points each).
 Where possible, show all work; partial credit will be given if merited.
 Useful formulae are provided below; crib sheets are not allowed.
 Total time: 3 hours

1. A spacecraft with initial mass m0 is coasting with initial speed v0 when it enters a very
dilute stationary dust cloud with uniform mass density  . Assume that the collision cross-
sectional area A (for gathering dust) remains constant, and that all dust encountered sticks
to the spacecraft. Find an expression for the spacecraft’s mass m as a function of time and
show that m will increase with time indefinitely provided  0  0 .

2. A bowling ball (a sphere of uniform density) slides at an initial velocity of 5 m/s in the x-
direction across a horizontal surface for which the coefficient of sliding friction k  0 . At
some point the surface changes composition and in the transition region the friction
coefficient monotonically increases along the x axis from 0 to 0.20. What is the final velocity
of the center of mass of the bowling ball once it commences rolling without slipping?

3. Consider a hypothetical mine shaft extending diametrically through the earth, connecting
the north pole with the south pole. If a rock were released from rest over the shaft at the
north pole, how long (in hours) will it take to reach the south pole? How long will it take to
return to the north pole? Assume a spherical earth of uniform density and radius 6.4  10
6

m, and neglect friction.

4. A pendulum consists of a rod of length and uniform density pivoting freely about at axle
at one end. Initially the rod is nearly balanced vertically upright, but eventually it tips over.
What is the horizontal force on the axle when the rod has rotated half-way around, at the
instant it reaches a horizontal position?

5. Evidence for dark matter comes in part from the observation that the rotation curves
showing velocity v as a function of the radius r for visible stars and gas in spiral galaxies
such as in our own Milky Way are nearly “flat”, independent of r , at odds with what would
be expected if the matter were held together by mutual gravitational interactions. It is
postulated that instead stars and dust are predominantly held in circular orbits about the
galactic center by their attraction to a spherically-symmetric dark matter halo with mass
density  ( r ) . Determine how  must vary with r to account for flat rotation curves.

6. Consider a point-mass hanging at the end of a cord with length . The mass is set in motion
so that it moves in a circle having radius r in the horizontal plane. Find the period of the
circular orbit. Neglect the mass of the cord.

2
7. A proton (mass 0.938 GeV/c ) with kinetic energy 5 keV scatters from distant alpha
2
particle (helium 4 nucleus, mass 3.727 GeV/c ) that is initially at rest. For a head-on
collision, calculate the radius of closest approach.
(Note: e / 4 0a  14.4 keV for a  100fm ; 1 eV = 1.6  1019 J )
2

8. Consider the displacements x1 and x2 from equilibrium of two identical masses m

connected to each other and to rigid supports by springs with stiffness constant k, as shown
in the figure.

Find the natural frequencies of oscillation and sketch their respective mode shapes.
For problems 9 and 10 below, consider the gravitational attraction of two spherically-symmetric bodies
Gm1m2
with masses m1 and m2 respectively is described by the potential energy U ( r )   , that is
r
inversely proportional to the center-to-center separation r . A Lagrangian describing motion relative to
the center of mass is given by

L
1
2
 
 r 2  r 2 2  U ( r ) ,

m1m2
where  is the angle in the plane of the motion and   is the reduced mass.
m1  m2

1 2
9. Show that the total center-of-mass energy E   r  U ( r ) for the two-body system is
2
given by a sum of the radial kinetic energy and the effective potential energy
2
Gm1m2
U (r)    , where is the magnitude of the angular momentum. Sketch a
r 2r 2
graph of the effective potential energy and the location of the turning points for different values
of E, and comment on the distinction between closed (elliptical) and open (hyperbolic)
trajectories.

10. For a given value of , what is the radius R for a circular orbit? If a small kick is applied to
one of the two bodies in the radial direction perturbing the radius of a circular orbit, what will
be the frequency for oscillations in the radial direction?

_____________________________________________________________________________________