Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune

Quiz 1, Spring 2023.

Course name: Classical Mechanics Course code: PH2213

Date: 03.02.2023 Duration: 1 hours
Instructor: Bijay Kumar Agarwalla Total marks: 15

• The question paper consists of 3 questions. Please answer all questions.

1. A spring pendulum consists of a mass m attached to one end of a massless spring with spring
constant k. The other end of the spring is tied to a fixed support. When no weight is on the
spring, its length is l. Assume that the motion of the system is confined to a vertical plane.

"
(a) How many degrees of freedom does the system have and why? (1 mark)
(b) Write down the Lagrangian for the system. (2 Marks)
(c) Derive the equations of motion for each degree of freedom. (2 Marks)
(d) Determine any one constant of motion which is conserved during the motion. (2 Marks)

a) The number ofdegrees offreedom is2.

is notf ixed. Two

Due the
to spring length
this
① coordinates an inquired to describe motion
this completely.

b) The Kinetic
energy
T= zm (F2 +502) =
1)
(r
mqucoso zk
-

the potential iv = -

is
Lagrangian
② So, the

myrcoso-tke)2.
L T =
- V

2m(2 182)
+

L
+

1
 motion
crof
one

&(2)) -

z 0
=

mi-mroz-mgloso + k(-1) = 0
①
=>

(970)
&(2) z
=
-
0

I
(mvva) mgsinu 0
=

of
+

mo-zmro+mysino ①
0
I
=

(P) The energy is one constant ofmotion ①

E 4+ v
-
=

[k( 1)
=zm(i +v0)) mgr(os0
-
+

-
 &

2. Consider a body of mass m moving vertically in the earth’s gravitation potential U (x) = mgx.
Suppose the body is thrown upwards from height zero at time T and returns to height zero
at time T . We assume that the path of the object x(t) is a parabola, reaching its maximum
height H at time t = 0 and satisfying the endpoint conditions x(±T ) = 0, and given as
⇣ t2 ⌘
x(t) = H 1
T2
(a) Impose the least action principle to determine the maximum height H reached by the
object. (5 Marks)

&in!
x(t) H(1
=
-
E);i()
=
-

2
The action is
+

mgr)dt
-

S = S(Em x -

-
T

=j(zm E)] -
4
- my +x
-

Ent 1. -mgH(z) met.

+

The
2mgHT
< m+
EmgHT
-

= +

⑤ -

5m(E-sH
T

S
m EngHT
= =

&f 0
=
=>
zm(2 - gT) 0
=

*
E85
maximumreached.

2
3. Consider two frames of reference (say K and K 0 ) moving with respect to each other with a
constant velocity V . Show that for a free particle the Lagrangians (say L and L0 ) expressed
with respect to K and K 0 di↵er by a total time derivative of a function of position and time.
(3 Marks)

V k/

"I# *x !
(B)
/ /
i F=
+vt

+
=
x y+v
vt I
insider ID: x x =

On frame K: L 2mx2
=

8/2

On famek =>i mX
=

1 2m x
=
Im(x v)
= +

L 2mx
=
- mxV +

zv
L u
=
+
m(x V +

[v)
2 1
=
+
o[m x V +

I
mVtAul)
-
time and
Total time derivative ofcoordinate and

here does notcontribute

this
in ep.ofmotion.
3D.
senralises to
abovesituation
The can be hirially

= ii mIz] An
1 j(m
+

2 = +