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Classical Mechanics Ph.D. Qualifying Examination

The document is a qualifying exam for a Ph.D. in Classical Mechanics at the University of Illinois at Chicago. It consists of 5 problems testing various concepts in classical mechanics. Students can receive full credit by answering any 4 of the 5 problems correctly. The problems cover topics like central forces, rotational dynamics, the Coriolis effect, and Lagrangian mechanics.

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36 views7 pages

Classical Mechanics Ph.D. Qualifying Examination

The document is a qualifying exam for a Ph.D. in Classical Mechanics at the University of Illinois at Chicago. It consists of 5 problems testing various concepts in classical mechanics. Students can receive full credit by answering any 4 of the 5 problems correctly. The problems cover topics like central forces, rotational dynamics, the Coriolis effect, and Lagrangian mechanics.

Uploaded by

paimo
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

Classical Mechanics
Ph.D. Qualifying Examination

8 January, 2013
9:00 to 12:00

Full credit can be achieved from completely correct answers to 4 questions. If


the student attempts all 5 questions, all of the answers will be graded, and the
top 4 scores will be counted toward the exams total score.

1
2 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

If needed, you may use the following table of integrals:

Z
dx hxi
= sin1
a x2
2 a
Z
dx 1 h a2 + b2 tan x i
1
= tan
a2 + b2 sin2 x a a2 + b2 a
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS 3

Problem 1

A homogenenous disk of radius R and mass M rolls without slipping on an inclined surface
that makes an angle with respect to the vertical. The disk is constrained to be in contact
with the inclined plane at all times. The disk is attracted to a point A located at a vertical
distance d above the surface.

d

M g
R

Assume that the force of attraction is proportional to the distance from the disks center
of mass to the force at point A; i.e. assume that F = kr, where r is the distance from
the point A to the disks center of mass.

(a) Determine the equilibrium position of the disk, with respect to the position on the
surface directly under point A (as shown in the figure above).

(b) Find the frequency of oscillations around the position of equilibrium.


4 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

Problem 2

A point mass m is moving on a frictionless horizontal table and is attached to a mass


M by a massless, non-extendable string of total length l, which passes through a hole in
the table. The mass M can only move vertically.

m

g

(a) (1) Identify appropriate generalised coordinates and write down the Lagrangian for the
system. (2) Find and interpret the conserved quantity, whose coordinate is cyclic. (3) Find
the radius r0 of the stable circular orbit in terms of that conserved quantity. (4) What is
the total energy of the circular orbit? Express your answer in terms of M , g, r0 , and l
only.

(b) Assume an initial configuration such that exactly half the string lies on the table
and the other half belowthe table, and the point mass m (on the table) is given an ini-
tial tangential speed of lg. To make the calculations simpler, assume in this part that
m = M . (1) Calculate the total energy of the system. (2) Plot the effective potential
Veff (r). Describe qualitatively the orbit of the point mass on the table. (3) Calculate the
maximum distance from the hole that this point mass reaches during its motion in terms
of l.
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS 5

Problem 3

A point mass m is fired vertically upwards with a speed v0 from a point on the sur-
face of the earth at a latitude . The angular velocity of the earths rotation is ~ , and the
vertical axis z points in the effective vertical direction, such that the effective gravitational
acceleration, gz includes the centrifugal force due to the earths rotation. Choose y east
and x south. Ignore atmospheric effects.

(a) By explicitely deriving the Coriolis effect to first order in , show that the total effective
force on the point mass m is
F~eff = mgz 2m(cos )(v0 gt)y
(b) Calculate the location of the point mass m after it lands? Check the sign of your
answer by considering conservation of angular momentum.
6 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

Problem 4

A solid sphere of mass M and radius R rotates freely in space with an angular velocity
about a fixed diameter. A point particle of mass m, initially at one pole, is constrained to
move with a constant speed v on the surface of the sphere and to proceed along a line of
longitude (i.e. a great circle).


v
R

(a) When the particle has reached the other pole, the rotation of the sphere will have been
retarded. Why?

(b) Show that the angle by which the sphere is retarded due to the motion of the par-
ticle traveling from one pole to the opposite pole is
r
 2M 
= 0 T 1
2M + 5m
where T is the total time required for the particle to move from one pole to the other and
0 is the initial angular velocity of the sphere before the particle begins to move.
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS 7

Problem 5

A particle of mass m is moving under the attraction of an inverse


p square force of magnitude
2
k/r . The particle was initially projected with speed v = k/(2md) from a point P a
distance 2d from the force center O in a direction making an angle = /3 with the line
OP . (see figure below)

v
2d
O P

(a) Determine the energy of the particle, assuming that the potential energy of the particle
at r = is zero.

(b) Determine the angular momentum of the particle.

(c) Determine the minimum and maximum distances of the particle from the force center
in the subsequent motion.

(d) Determine the period of the motion.

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