DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY MADRAS

PH1010 Physics I, Tutorial 4 - Solutions
March 14, 2025

1. We start with the energy conservation equation

1
E= mẋ2 + V (x)
2
1
= mẋ2 + A|x|n
2
where A > 0 and n > 0

Figure 1: The plot of the potential energy function

3 Cases:
• E>0
• E<0
• E=0
If E > 0; then the particle has an ẋ which is ẋ > 0 (at x=0). If E < 0, the
particle has an ẋ which is imaginary (never reaches x = 0 )
=⇒ We need to look at the case E = 0
Assume x = 0 and ẋ > 0
1
=⇒ mẋ2 = A|x|n
2
 2
dx 2
= A|x|n
dt m

1
 To calculate the time period, we use the above equation
Z 0
dx
tx0 →0 = q
2A n
m |x|
x0 2

n −x0
m x1− 2
r
=
2A 1 − n2 0
diverges at the lower limit if 1 − n2 < 0
Therefore, for the time to be finite, n < 2
Moral: Any smooth potential looks like −x2 around a maxima. And the particle
will take infinite time to reach the origin (with the given initial conditions)
2. x0 > 0 and ẋ > 0 heads to infinity
Z ∞r
m dx
Tx0 →∞ = p
x0 2 E + A|x|n
We want the time period to be finite

For large x , the behavior is controlled by xn term

Therefore, consider the integral
Z ∞r r Z ∞
m dx 1 m dx
√ n = √ √ n
x0 2 A|x| 2 A 2 x0 Ax 2
r −n +1 ∞
m x 2
≈ <∞
2A − n2 + 1 x0
n
=⇒ − + 1 < 0
2
n>2

3. Again, an inverted harmonic Oscillator

k
U (x) = − x2
2
1 k
mẋ2 − x2 = E → Energy
2 2

2
• E=0:

1 k
mẋ2 = x2
2 2r
k
=⇒ ẋ = ± x
m
• E>0:

1 k
mẋ2 − x2 = E
2 2
ẋ2 x2
∴ 2E
− 2E
= 1
m m

• E<0:

1 2 1
kx − mẋ2 = |E|
2 2
x2 ẋ2
=⇒  −  =1
2|E| 2|E|
k m

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 Figure 2: Phase Portrait
4. We are given
1 2 2
E =T +V = ml θ̇ + mgl(1 − cos θ)
2
a) From conservation of energy
dE
= ml2 θ̇θ̈ + mglθ̇ sin θ = 0
dt
g
=⇒ θ̈ + sin θ = 0
l
of the form θ̈ + w sin θ = 0 with w = l
2
pg

b) Now, let us look at the small angle approximation

sin θ ≈ θ
g
∴ θ̈ + θ = 0
l
which is an equation we have known for quite some time
c) Let us plot the potential between −π ≤ θ ≤ π
d2 V
To study the stability dV
dθ θ=θ = 0 and then look at the sign of dθ 2
0 θ=θ0
But here, we can write down the stable equilibrium points from the above plot.
θ = 0 is a point of stable equilibrium. Furthermore, since V (θ) = mgl(1 − cos θ)
is a periodic function, we get stable points at θ = 0, ±2π
Similarly, we get points of unstable equilibrium at θ = ±(2n + 1)π; n = 0, 1 . . .
Stable points at θ = ±2nπ, θ̇ = 0, n = 0, 1, ..
Unstable points at θ = ±(2n + 1)π, θ̇ = 0, n = 0, 1, ..

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d)

E = 21 ml2 θ̇2 + mgl(1 − cos θ)

dθ 2


dt
2
= (E − mgl(1 − cos θ))q ml2
dθ
p (1)
E − mgl(1 − cos θ) ml2 2


dt =
1
RT R θ0
√ (ml2 ) 2 dθ
∴ T = 0 dt = 2 −θ0
2(E−mgl(1−cos θ))

Now, E = 2mgl

=⇒ E − mgl(1 − cos θ) = mgl + mgl cos θ

= mgl(1 + cos θ)
To Evalute θ0 We have from eq.(1)

2mgl = mgl (1 − cos θ0 ) (θ̇ = 0)

=⇒ cos θ0 = −1 =⇒ θ0 = π
Z π
1
ml2 2
T =2 √ √ 1
−π 2 mgl(1 + cos θ) 2
s Z s Z
l π dθ l π dθ
= = 2 =⇒ ∞
g −π cos2 θ
21 g 0 cos θ2
2

Due to the divergence at the upper cut-off, θ0 = π, θ̇0 = 0 is a hyperbolic

point. When this point is approached, the velocity tends to zero. Thus, it takes
an infinitely long time to approach this point θ0 = π, θ̇ = 0

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 1 2 2
2 ml θ̇ + mgl(1 − cos θ) = 2mgl
1 2 2
2 ml θ̇ = mgl(1
(2)
p+ cos θ)
θ̇ = ±2 gl cos θ2
t = 0; θ = 0, θ̇ = 0 given dθ
= 2 gl cos θ2
p
dt
We get,

θ
Z r
dθ g
θ
= 2t
0 cos 2 l
  r
θ π g
log tan + =t (3)
4 4 l
r 
g
θ(t) = 4 tan−1 exp t −π
l

5. Locally approximating the potential by an H.O.

V0 x
V (x) =
x2 + a2
In class you have seen that given an equilibrium point at say x = x0 , we can
expand the potential

2 U ′′ (x0 )
U (x) = U (x0 ) + (x − x0 ) U ′ (x0 ) + (x − x0 ) + ...
2!
Since δU
δx x=x0 =0

U ′′ (x0 ) 2
=⇒ U (x) = U (x0 ) + (x − x0 )
2!
What this tells you is that given a potential U(x), around the equilibrium
point, one locally approximates the potential as a harmonic oscillator (H.O.).
Now, whether the H.O. is inverted or not is given by the sign of U ′′ (x0 ) term.
Now, for the problem at hand
V0 x
V (x) =
x2 + a2
δV
∴ =0
δx x=x0
−2x20 1
=⇒ 2 − =0
(x20 + a2 ) (x20 + a2 )
=⇒ x0 = ±a
Look at the stability,

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 ∂2U 8x3 6x
= 3 − 2
∂x2 x0 =a (a2 + x2 ) (a2 + x2 ) x=a
V0
=− 3 <0 (4)
2a
Similarly,

∂2U 8x3 6x
= 3 − 2
∂x2 x0 =−a (a2
+ x2 ) (a2 + x2 )
V0
= 3 >0
2a
The plot of the potential

Now, frequency of small oscillations around x = −a.

V0 (−a) 1 ∂2U
V (x) = 2
+ (x + a)2
2a 2 ∂x2 x=−a

∂2U V0 (−a)
We identify ∂x2 = k. The first term 2a2 is just a constant shifting the
origin.
rr r
k V0 1 V0
∴ω= = =
m 2a2 m a 2ma
The frequency of small oscillations around x = −a is
r
1 V0
ω=
a 2ma
6. The total Energy E = T + V .

7
 The Kinetic Energy of each of the blocks can be set up as 12 M ẋ2 + 12 M ẏ 2

1 1
K.E = M ẋ2 + M ẏ 2 (5)
2 2
P.E = M gy (6)

Now due to the fact that the two masses are connected to each other, the
coordinates x and y are not independent of each other.
From the figure,

(L − x) − y = l (7)
Such an equation is called constraint equation(which you will see a lot in the
last part of the course).
∴ differentiating (7) with respect to time, we get,

ẋ = −ẏ (8)
1 1
∴ E = M ẋ2 + M ẏ 2 + M gy
2 2
From (8)
1 1
= M ẏ 2 + M ẏ 2 + M gy
2 2
E = M ẏ 2 + M gy
Now dE
dt = 0, =⇒ 2M ÿ ẏ + M g ẏ = 0

=⇒ 2ÿ + M g = 0
The equation of motion
g
ÿ = −
2
can be solved easily enough to yield

gt2
y=− + k1 t + k2
4
Using the given conditions ẏ(t = 0) = y(t = 0) = 0. This condition gives
k1 = k2 = 0.

gt2
=⇒ y = −
4

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7. Particle executes bounded motion for E < 0.

qweRhave from
∴ energy conservation,
2 dx
R
m dt = 1 (9)
( coshV20 αx −|E|) 2
The turning points can be found out easily by noting that the velocity ẋ
vanishes at those points (x1 &x2 ). For those points (x1 &x2 )

V0
cosh2 αx =
|E|
Eq.(7) can be rewritten as
r Z
2 dx cosh αx
t = (10)
m (V0 − |E| cosh αx2 )
Make the substitution

y = sinh αx
dy = α cosh αxdx
also use,

cosh2 αx − sinh2 αx2 = 1

(you can check this)

∴ cosh2 αx = 1 + sinh2 αx
=⇒ Eq. 10) can be written as
r Z
2 1 dy
t = 1
m α [V0 − |E| (1 + y 2 )] 2
r Z
2 1 dy
t = p  21
m α |E|

V0 −|E|

2
|E| − y

This integral can be done as it is of the form

r Z
2 1 dy
t = 1 (11)
m α|E| (a − y 2 ) 2
2

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   12
with a = |E|
V0
−1
Remember, dy
a.
−1 b
R
1 = sin
2 2
(a −y ) 2
Putting this into (11), we have
r
2 1 y
t = p sin−1 q
m α |E| V0
−1


E
r !
2|E|
=⇒ y(t) = sin α t +c
m
Bounded motion period is given by
r
2|E|
ω=α
m
q
Time Period T = 2π
ω = 2π
α 2|E| .
m

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