PHYSICS 311: Classical Mechanics I – Midterm Formula Sheet

Constants:

c = 3 ⇥ 108 m/s
11
G = 6.67 ⇥ 10 Nm2 /kg2
g = 9.8 m/s ' 10 m/s2
2

ke = 9 ⇥ 109 N m2 /C2

Math:

ei✓ = cos ✓ + i sin ✓

A = A1 + iA2 ! A⇤ = A1 iA2
|A| 2
= AA⇤
@f 1 @2f
f (x0 + x) ' f (x0 ) + x + x2 + ...
@x x0 2 @x2 x0
lim (1 + x)n = 1 + nx
x!0
~e1 ~e2 ~e3
~u ⇥ ~v = u1 u2 u3
v1 v2 v3
X
~u · ~v = ui vi = |~u||~v | cos
i
@f @f @f
Cartesian Coordinates : rf = î + ĵ + k̂
@x @y @z
@vx @vy @vz
r · ~v = + +
@x @y @z
✓ ◆ ✓ ◆ ✓ ◆
@vz @vy @vx @vz @vy @vx
r ⇥ ~v = î + ĵ + k̂
@y @z @z @x @x @y
Polar Coordinates : x = r cos
y = r sin
~r = rr̂
~v = ṙr̂ + r ˙ ˆ
~a = (r̈ r ˙ 2 )r̂ + (r ¨ + 2ṙ ˙ ) ˆ
Spherical Coordinates : x = r cos sin ✓
y = r sin sin ✓
z = r cos ✓
@f 1 @f ˆ 1 @f ˆ
rf = r̂ + ✓+
@r r @✓ r sin ✓ @
I Z
Stoke0 s Theorem : ~v · d~l = ~
(r ⇥ ~v ) · dA

1
Kinematics

p~ = m~v
F~ = p~˙
1
Constant Force : ~r(t) = ~r0 + ~v0 t + ~at2
2
~v (t) = ~v0 + ~at
Rotational : L ~ = ~r ⇥ p~
= I~!
~ = ~˙
L
Z Z
I = r2 dm = d3 r r2 ⇢(~r)

Ipoint = mr2
1
Idisk = M R2
2
2
Isphere = M R2
5

Specific Forces

F~g = mg ĵ
GM m
F~G = r̂
r2
Fs = kx
F~Lorentz = ~ + ~v ⇥ B)
q(E ~
f~ = (bv + cv 2 )v̂
Damped : mẍ = bẋ kx
i!r t !i t
x(t) = x0 e e
s ✓ ◆2
k b
!r =
m 2m
b
!i =
2m

Periodic Motion

ẍ = !2 x ! x / e±i!t
r
k
!s =
m
r
g
!p =
l
r
1
!LC =
LC
2⇡
P =
!

2
Energy

1
T = mv 2
2
Z
W = F~ · d~r

P = F~ · ~v
Conservative Forces : F~ = rU
Emech = T +U
Ug = mgy
1 2
Us = kx
2
GM m
UG =
r
k e q1 q2
UE =
r

Variational Principles:

Z
S = Ldt
d @L @L
=
dt @ q̇i @qi
L = T U
@L
pi =
@ q̇i
✓ ◆
@L d X @L @qi
Noether : =
@✏ dt @ q̇i @✏
X
H = pi q̇i L
i
@H
= q̇i
@pi
@H
= ṗi
@qi

3
Central Forces:

m1 m2
µ =
m1 + m2
1
L = µ(ṙ2 + r2 ˙ 2 ) U (r)
2

U (r) =
r
l = µr2 ˙
l2 @U
µr̈ =
µr3 @r
l2 1
Solution : r =
µ 1 + ✏ cos
l2 1
a =
µ 1 ✏2
2 µ 2
E = (✏ 1)
2l2
2
4⇡ 3
⌧2 = a
GM

Collisions:

P = n l
= n v
1
=
n
d⌦ = sin ✓d✓ d
Z
d⌦ = 4⇡

d 1 db
= b
d⌦ sin ✓ d✓
d 1 2
= R
d⌦ Solid Sphere 4
µ cot(✓/2)
bRutherford =
p2
✓ ◆2
d 
=
d⌦ Rutherford 4E sin2 (✓/2)