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Rigid Bodies Dynamics Tutorial

1. This document provides 13 topics on rigid body dynamics and classical mechanics, including: deriving expressions for the inertia tensor and moment of inertia, finding principal moments of inertia for different shapes, applying Euler's equations of motion to tops and rigid bodies, and obtaining conditions for uniform precession. 2. Topics include deriving that the matrix of the inertia tensor can be written in terms of an antisymmetric matrix associated with coordinates, and that the moment of inertia about an axis is the sum of products of mass distances from the axis. 3. Euler's equations are applied to problems like a rotating bar and symmetrical top to relate angular velocities and obtain integrals of motion.

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Supriyo Dutta
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356 views1 page

Rigid Bodies Dynamics Tutorial

1. This document provides 13 topics on rigid body dynamics and classical mechanics, including: deriving expressions for the inertia tensor and moment of inertia, finding principal moments of inertia for different shapes, applying Euler's equations of motion to tops and rigid bodies, and obtaining conditions for uniform precession. 2. Topics include deriving that the matrix of the inertia tensor can be written in terms of an antisymmetric matrix associated with coordinates, and that the moment of inertia about an axis is the sum of products of mass distances from the axis. 3. Euler's equations are applied to problems like a rotating bar and symmetrical top to relate angular velocities and obtain integrals of motion.

Uploaded by

Supriyo Dutta
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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CYK\2017\PH403\Classical Mechanics\Tutorial 06

Topics: Rigid Bodies Dynamics

1. If Ri is an
P antisymmetric matrix associated with the coordinates of the ith mass point of a system, with elements
Rmn = l mnl xl , show that the matrix of the inertia tensor can be written as
X
I=− mi R2i .
i

2. Show directly by vector manipulation that the moment of inertia of a rigidi body about an axis n̂ is given by
X
I= mi (ri × n̂) · (ri × n̂) .
i

3. What is the height to diameter ratio of a right cylinder such that the inertia ellipsoid at the center of the cylinder
is a sphere?
4. Find the principal moments of inertia about the center of mass of a flat rigid body in the shape of a 45° right
triangle with uniform mass density. What are the principal axes?
5. Three equal mass points are located at (a, 0, 0),(0, a, 2a), and (0, 2a, a). Find the principal moments of inertia
about the origin and a set of principal axes.

6. A uniform right circular cone of height h, half-angle α, and density ρ rolls on its side without slipping on a
uniform horizontal plane in such a manner that it returns to its original position in a time τ . Find expressions
for the kinetic energy and the components of the angular momentum of the cone.
7. Derive Euler’s equations of motion, from the Lagrange equation of motion, in the form of Eq. (1-53) (ref
Goldstein 2nd ed), for the generalized coordinate ψ. (The other two equations are obtained by symmetry).
8. A bar of negligible weight and length l has equal mass points in at the two ends. The bar is made to rotate
uniformly about an axis passing through the center of the bar and making an angle θ with the bar. From Euler’s
equations find the components along the principal axes of the bar of the torque driving the bar. Verify using
first principles.

9. A uniform bar of mass M and length 2l is suspended from one end by a spring of force constant k. The bar can
swing freely only in one vertical plane, and the spring is constrained to move only in the vertical direction. Set
up the equations of motion in the Lagrangian formulation.
10. For the symmetrical body precessing uniformly in the absence of torques, find analytical solutions for the Euler
angles as a function of time.

11. Show that the angular momentum of the torque-free symmetrical top rotates in the body coordinates about the
symmetry axis with an angular frequency Ω = (I3 − I1 ) ω3 /I1 (already discussed in the class).
(a) Show also that the symmetry axis rotates in space about the fixed direction of the angular momentum with
the angular frequency
I3 ω3
φ̇ = ,
I1 cos θ
where φ̇ is the Euler angle of the line of nodes with respect to the angular momentum as the space z axis.
(b) Show that ω
~ rotates in space about the angular momentum with the same frequency φ̇, but that the angle
θ0 between ω
~ and L is given by
Ω
sin θ0 = sin θ00 .
φ̇
where θ00 is the inclination of ω to the symmetry axis.
12. Apply Euler’s equations to the problem of the heavy symmetrical top, expressing ωi in terms of the Euler angles.
Show that the two integrals of motion, Eqs. (5-53) and (5-54) (from Goldstein 2nd edition), can be obtained
directly from Euler’s equations in this form.
13. Obtain from Euler’s equations of motion the condition (5-77) for the uniform precession of a symmetrical top in
a gravitational field, by imposing the requirement that the motion be a uniform precession without nutation.

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