MP350 Classical Mechanics

Solutions Problem set 9

1. (a) The components of the inertia tensor are

Ixy
Ixz
Iyz

Ixx = m1 (y12 + z12 ) + m2 (y22 + z22 ) + m3 (y32 + z32 )

= 3m(0 + a2 ) + 4m(a2 + a2 ) + 2m(a2 + 0) = 13ma2 ,
Iyy = m1 (x21 + z12 ) + m2 (x22 + z22 ) + m3 (x23 + z32 )
= 3m(a2 + a2 ) + 4m(a2 + a2 ) + 2m(a2 + 0) = 16ma2 ,
Izz = m1 (y12 + z12 ) + m2 (y22 + z22 ) + m3 (y32 + z32 )
= 3m(0 + a2 ) + 4m(a2 + a2 ) + 2m(a2 + a2 ) = 15ma2 ,
= Iyx = m1 x1 y1 m2 x2 y2 m3 x3 y3
= 3m 0 4ma2 2m(a2 ) = 2ma2 ,
= Izx = m1 x1 z1 m2 x2 z2 m3 x3 z3
= 3ma2 4m(a2 ) 2m 0 = ma2 ,
= Izy = m1 x1 y1 m2 x2 y2 m3 x3 y3
= 3m 0 4m(a2 ) 2m 0 = 4ma2 .

In matrix form, the inertia tensor can be written

13 2 1
I = ma2 2 16 4 .
1
4 15

(1.1)
(1.2)
(1.3)
(1.4)
(1.5)
(1.6)

(1.7)

(b) Since the first particle is now at the origin, it does not contribute to the
inertia tensor. The inertia tensor now involves the relative positions of the
two other particles relative to the first:

r 2 = (x2 x1 , y2 y1 , z2 z1 ) = (0, a, 2a) ,

r 3 = (x3 x1 , y3 y1 , z3 z1 ) = (2a, a, a) .

(1.8)
(1.9)

The components of the inertia tensor are now

Ixx
= m2 [(y2 y1 )2 + (z2 z1 )2 ] + m3 [(y3 y1 )2 + (z3 z1 )2 ]
= 4m(a2 + 4a2 ) + 2m(a2 + a2 ) = 24ma2 ,
(1.10)

2
2
2
Iyy = m2 [(x2 x1 ) + (z2 z1 ) ] + m3 [(x3 x1 ) + (z3 z1 )2 ]

Izz

Ixy
= Iyx

Ixz

Iyz

Izx

Izy

= 4m(0 + 4a2 ) + 2m(4a2 + a2 ) = 26ma2 ,

(1.11)
2
2
2
= m2 [(x2 x1 ) + (y2 y1 ) ] + m3 [(x3 x1 ) + (y3 y1 )2 ]
= 4m(0 + a2 ) + 2m(4a2 + a2 ) = 14ma2 ,
(1.12)
= m2 (x2 x1 )(y2 y1 ) m3 (x3 x1 )(y3 y1 )
= 4m(0)(a) 2m(2a)(a) = 4ma2 ,
= m2 (x2 x1 )(z2 z1 ) m3 (x3 x1 )(z3 z1 )
= 4m 0 2m(2a)(a) = 4ma2 ,
= m2 (y2 y1 )(z2 z1 ) m3 (y3 y1 )(z3 z1 )
= 4m(a)(2a) 2m(a)(a) = 10ma2 .

In matrix form, the inertia tensor can be written

24 4 4
I = ma2 4 26 10 .
4 10 14

(1.13)
(1.14)
(1.15)

(1.16)

P
(c) The angular momentum about the origin is Li = j Iij j , where Iij is the
inertia tensor about the origin. Using (1.7) we find
Lx = Ixx x + Ixy y + Ixz z = 13ma2 + 0 + ma2 () = 12ma2 ,
Ly = Iyx x + Iyy y + Iyz z = 2ma2 + 0 + 4ma2 () = 6ma2
Lz = Izx x + Izy y + Izz z = ma2 + 0 + 15ma2 () = 14ma2 ,
or, in vector form,

L = (12, 6, 14)ma2 .

(1.17)

2. (a) With I1 = I2 the lagrangian reduces to

1
1
L = I1 (12 + 22 ) + I3 32
2
2
1
= I1 ( 2 sin2 sin2 + 2 sin sin cos + 2 cos2
2
+ 2 sin2 cos2 2 sin sin cos + 2 sin2 )
1
2
+ I3 ( cos + )
2
1
1
2
= I1 ( 2 sin2 + 2 ) + I3 ( cos + )
2
2

(2.1)

(2.2)

(2.3)

(b) The EulerLagrange equations for and are

d L
d
= I1
= (I1 )
dt
dt
L
sin
= I1 2 sin cos I3 ( cos + )
=

I1 = (I1 I3 ) 2 cos sin I3 sin

d
d L

=
I3 ( cos + )
dt
dt
= L = 0
= I3 ( cos sin + )

+ cos sin = 0

(2.4)
(2.5)

(2.6)
(2.7)

(c)
1
= sin cos sin = 2

2
= sin sin cos = 1

(2.8)
(2.9)

(d) We can write the EulerLagrange equation for as

3
X


d
i
d L
= d (I3 3 ) = L =
=
I3 ( cos + )
.
Ii i
dt
dt
dt

i=1

(2.10)

Since 3 does not depend on the last expression becomes

1
2
L
= I1 1
+ I2 2
= I1 1 2 + I3 2 (1 ) = (I1 I2 )1 2 , (2.11)

yielding the desired result.

(e) We now have the three equations
d1
= (I2 I3 )2 3 ,
dt
d2
= (I3 I1 )3 1 ,
I2
dt
d3
I3
= (I1 I2 )1 2 .
dt
I1

(2.12)
(2.13)
(2.14)

i. If 2 3 1 the three equations become

I1 1 = (I2 I1 )2 3 0
d2
I2
= (I3 I1 )3 1
dt
d3
= (I1 I2 )1 2
I3
dt

=
=
=

1 = constant ,


I3 I1
2 =
1 3 ,
I2


I1 I2
3 =
1 2 ,
I3

(2.15)
(2.16)
(2.17)

Differentiating (2.16) and using (2.17) we get

I3 I1
(I3 I1 )(I1 I2 ) 2
1 3 =
1 2
(2.18)
I2
I 2 I3
(I3 I1 )(I2 I1 ) 2

2 + 21 2 = 0 with 21 =
1 > 0 . (2.19)
I2 I3

2 =

This has the solution

2 (t) = A cos 1 t + B sin 1 t
3 (t) 2 (t) = A cos 1 t + B sin 1 t .

(2.20)
(2.21)

So we see that 2 , 3 will oscillate about equilibrium values 2 = 3 = 0.

ii. By the same procedure as in the previous question, we obtain
3 = const , 1 3 ,

2 +3 2 = 0 ,

23 =

(I3 I2 )(I3 I1 ) 2
3 > 0 ,
I1 I2

which again has solutions

1 (t) = A cos 3 t+B sin 3 t ,

2 (t) = A cos 3 t+B sin 3 t . (2.22)

iii. Using the same procedure again, we now find the equations
2 = constant ,
I1
1 ,
3 =
(I2 I3 )2
(I3 I2 )(I2 I1 ) 2
2 1 = 22 1 .

1 =
I1 I3

(2.23)
(2.24)
(2.25)

The general solution to (2.25) is

1 (t) = Ae2 t + Be2 t ,

(2.26)

so 1 (and 3 ) will increase exponentially with time, at least until the

approximations 1 2 and 3 2 are no longer valid.