PHYS 3130H Assignment #2

Due: October 27, 2014, at noon. Solutions will be posted at that time, so there can be no
extensions.
1.

A pendulum has a period of 2 s when it oscillates in a vacuum. When in air, its amplitude
is reduced by a factor of 2 after 10 s. (a) by what factor is the energy reduced after 10 s?
After 30 s? (b) Calculate the period of the pendulum in air.

2.

Imagine that planet Earth is of uniform density and is not rotating. A hole is drilled from
Toronto, through the centre of the planet, to Otnorot on the other side. A stone is dropped
into the hole at Toronto. It is easily shown that the time required to reach Otnorot is equal
to the orbital period of a satellite at the surface of the planet. But now suppose that you
wish to cut in half the Toronto-Otnorot transit time. With what speed must the stone
be thrown into the hole? With what speed does it pass through the centre of the planet?
Give a complete description of the stones motion over one complete cycle.

3.

The equation of motion of a mass m acted on by a one-dimensional restoring force F = kx

(k a positive constant) is m
x = kx. Suppose that x(0) = x0 , and x(0)

= v0 . As usual,
we express the equation of motion as
x
+ 2 x = 0,
p
where = k/m. Assume a solution of the form x(t) = eqt , and show that this solution
can be expressed as
x(t) = a1 eit + a2 eiwt ,
where, in terms of the initial conditions,
a1 =

1
1
(x0 iv0 /) and a2 = (x0 + iv0 /).
2
2

Then express this as

x(t) = a cos t + b sin t,
with a = a1 + a2 = x0 and b = i(a1 a2 ) = v0 /. Finally, rewrite the latter solution as
x(t) = A cos(t + ),
expressing A and in terms of a and b.
4.

Now suppose that the force is F = +kx. Show that the general solution of the equation
of motion is
x(t) = a1 et/ + a2 et/ ,
p
where = m/k is a characteristic time, a1 = (x0 + v0 )/2, and a2 = (x0 v0 )/2.
Finally, show that the solution can be expressed as
x(t) = x0 cosh t/ + v0 sinh t/.

5.

Obtain the Fourier expansion of the function

F (t) =

1,
+1,

if / < t < 0;
if 0 < t < /.

in the interval / < t < /. Take = 1 s1 . In the periodical interval, calculate

and plot the sums of the first five terms, the first ten terms, and the first twenty terms to
demonstrate the convergence of the series.
6.

The quality factor Q of an underdamped oscillator can be defined as

Q=

1
d .
2

Express Q in terms of the amplitudes xn and xn+1 of successive oscillations.

7.

A freely running motor rests on a thick rubber pad to reduce vibration. The elastic
constant of the pad is k. The motor sinks into the pad to a depth of 10 cm. Estimate
the rotational speed (revolutions per minute) at which the motor will exhibit the largest
vertical vibration.

8.

Show that the ratio of two successive maxima in the displacement of a damped harmonic
oscillator is constant. (Note: The maxima do not occur at the points of contact of the
displacement curve with the curve Aet .)

9.

Assume that the damping force for a damped harmonic oscillator is proportional to the
square of its speed. Let = 0.20 m1 and 0 = 2.00 s1 . Suppose that x(0) = 1.00 m,
and x(0)

= 0. Find x(t) by integrating numerically the equation of motion, and plot the
solution for 0 t 20 s. On the same graph, plot the solution for the case where the
damping force is proportional to x.