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Physics Assignment Classical Mechanics

1. In each case of the following cases state whether the constraint is holonomic or non-holonomic and
scleronomic or rheonomic, give reason for your answer.

a) A bead moving on a circular wire 

Holonomic Constraints : This constraint is holonomic as it can be expressed as a func on of the
coordinates and me. In this case, the bead’s posi on on the wire can be described using a single
coordinate, which is less than the total degrees of freedom in the system. Therefore, the constraint
is holonomic.

Scleronomic Constraints : A constraint is scleronomic if it does not explicitly depend on me, and
rheonomic if it does. In this case, the bead’s posi on on the wire does not depend on me, so the
constraint is scleronomic.

So, the constraint of a bead moving on a circular wire is holonomic and scleronomic.

b) A par cle sliding down an inclined plane under the influence of gravity 
Non-holonomic Constraint : Here in the case of a par cle sliding down an inclined plane, the
constraint involves the restric on on the velocity components along the inclined surface. This
restric on is not expressible as an equa on solely involving coordinates. Instead, it involves the
rela onship between the veloci es along the incline.

Scleronomic Constraint: Like the case of a bead on a circular wire, the constraint in the context of
a par cle sliding down an inclined plane is scleronomic. The incline and gravita onal force act
consistently over me, and the constraint can be expressed without explicit me dependence.

c) A par cle constrained to move under gravity on the inside of a ver cal paraboloid of revolu on
whose vortex is downwards
Holonomic Constraints : The shape of the ver cal paraboloid can be mathema cally expressed
by an equa on involving coordinates. In this case, the equa on represen ng the paraboloid can be
wri en as z = a(x2 + y2), where z is the ver cal coordinate, and a is a constant determining the
curvature of the paraboloid. This equa on is holonomic because it defines the rela onship between
the coordinates of the par cle and the shape of the paraboloid.

Scleronomic Constraints : The constraint is scleronomic as it does not explicitly depend on me.
Both the gravita onal force ac ng on the par cle and the shape of the paraboloid remain constant
over me.

d) A par cle sliding on an ellipsoid under the influence of gravity 

Non-holonomic Constraint : The gravita onal force ac ng on the par cle introduces a velocity-
based constraint. The par cle's mo on is determined by its velocity and accelera on under gravity,
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and this rela onship is not expressible as a simple equa on involving only coordinates. Therefore,
the constraint is non-holonomic.
Scleronomic Constraint : The gravita onal force ac ng on the par cle remains constant over
me. The constraint imposed by gravity is scleronomic because it does not explicitly depend on
me; the force is consistently directed downwards, and the constraint remains the same
throughout the mo on.

e) A sphere rolling down from top of a fixed sphere 

Holonomic Constraint : The mo on of the rolling sphere can be mathema cally expressed using
coordinates. The constraint arises from the geometric rela onship between the rolling sphere and
the fixed sphere. As the rolling sphere descends, its posi on can be defined using coordinates,
establishing a holonomic constraint.

Scleronomic Constraint : The constraints are scleronomic as they do not explicitly depend on
me. The gravita onal force ac ng on the rolling sphere and the geometry of the fixed sphere
remain constant throughout the mo on. The constraints are inherent in the sta c arrangement and
are not me-varying.

f) A cylinder rolling without slipping down a rough inclined plane of angle α 

Holonomic Constraint : The condi on of rolling without slipping imposes a geometric
rela onship between the transla onal and rota onal mo on of the cylinder. This rela onship can
be expressed mathema cally as v=Rω, where v is the linear velocity of the center of mass, R is the
radius of the cylinder, and ω is its angular velocity. This equa on represents a holonomic constraint
since it relates coordinates describing the transla onal and rota onal mo on.

Scleronomic Constraint : The constraints are scleronomic as they do not explicitly depend on
me. The gravita onal force, the fric onal forces on the inclined plane, and the geometry of the
cylinder remain constant over me during the mo on down the inclined plane. The constraints are
determined by the sta c arrangement and do not vary with me.

g) A par cle moving on a very long fric onless wire which rotates with constant angular speed
about a horizontal axis 
Non-holonomic Constraint : The constraint is non-holonomic because it involves a rela onship
between the par cle's velocity and the rota on of the wire. The velocity of the par cle is
constrained by the rota on of the wire, but this constraint is not expressible solely as an equa on
involving coordinates. Instead, it involves the dynamics of the par cle's mo on along the rota ng
wire.
Scleronomic Constraint : The constraints are scleronomic as they do not explicitly depend on
me. The angular speed of the wire, which influences the mo on of the par cle, remains constant
over me. The constraint is determined by the sta c arrangement and does not vary with me.

h) A cylinder rolling [and possibly sliding] down an inclined plane of angle α 

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Holonomic Constraint : The condi on of rolling without sliding imposes a geometric

rela onship between the transla onal and rota onal mo on of the cylinder. This rela onship can
be expressed mathema cally as
v=Rω, where v is the linear velocity of the center of mass, R is the radius of the cylinder, and ω is its
angular velocity. This equa on represents a holonomic constraint since it relates coordinates
describing the transla onal and rota onal mo on.

Non-scleronomic Constraint (Possibly) : If sliding occurs, introducing fric on forces, the

constraints become non-scleronomic. The fric onal forces can depend on the rela ve velocity
between the contac ng surfaces and, therefore, introduce a me-dependent aspect to the
constraints.

i) A sphere rolling down another sphere which is rolling with uniform speed along a horizontal
plane 
Holonomic Constraint : The rela onship between the transla onal and rota onal mo on of the
rolling spheres can be expressed mathema cally. The constraint arises from the condi on of rolling
without slipping for both spheres. For example, the linear velocity of the center of mass (v) is
related to the angular velocity (ω) by v=Rω, where R is the radius of the rolling sphere. This
equa on represents a holonomic constraint as it establishes a rela onship between coordinates.

Scleronomic Constraint : The constraints are scleronomic as they do not explicitly depend on
me. The rolling of both spheres and the gravita onal force ac ng on the descending sphere
remain constant over me during the mo on. The constraints are determined by the sta c
arrangement and do not vary with me.

j) A par cle constrained to move along a line under the influence of a force which is inversely
propor onal to the square of its distance from a fixed point and a damping force propor onal to
the square of its instantaneous speed 
Non-holonomic Constraint : The constraint is non-holonomic because it involves a rela onship
between velocity and force, which cannot be expressed solely as an equa on involving coordinates.
The inverse square dependence on distance introduces a velocity-based constraint, as the force is a
func on of the par cle's speed.
Non-scleronomic Constraint : The constraints are non-scleronomic as they explicitly depend on
me due to the presence of a damping force that is propor onal to the square of the par cle's
instantaneous speed. The damping force introduces a me-dependent aspect to the constraints,
making them non-scleronomic.
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