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Machine
Atwood’s Machine is a classic device constructed by George Atwood in the eighteenth
century in order to measure the gravitational acceleration g: two masses are attached
to either end of a (massless) string which is passed over a (frictionless) pulley. When
the two masses are slightly unequal, the heavier mass falls in a slowed-down free fall
motion, which allows g to be measured using a clockwork timing device. The
Swinging Atwood’s Machine (SAM) was introduced (and actually built as a lab
experiment) by Tufillaro et al (1984):
r
q
pr2 p2 M
H= + θ 2 + mgr ( µ − cosθ ) µ=
2m(1 + µ ) 2mr m
belies its very complex dynamical behaviour when M > m , including complicated
families of periodic motions, since a dynamical equilibrium can be achieved by the
centrifugal force on the swinging mass counterbalancing the free-fall pull of M.
In one set of activities devised for the Dynamics course at Imperial College, the
students are invited to get “a feel” for nonlinear dynamical system behaviour by
exploring some of the richness of SAM’s dynamics. They are also invited to check on
the (remarkable) existence of a second conserved quantity of the motion for the (so far
as is known) unique parameter value of m = 3:
pθ θ pθ θ θ θ
J= pr cos − 2 sin + mgr 2 sin cos 2
4m 2 r 2 2 2
1
Hence, for m = 3 the SAM system is “integrable” and its motions are completely
ordered. This provides a good link with the course lectures, where the principles
behind integrability, and the methods by which a dynamical system may be analysed
for this property, are discussed.
traj299 = MakeTrajectory@SAMeqns@2.99D,
8r@0D == 1.0, q@0D == p
2, pr@0D == 10.0, pq@0D == 0.0<, 8r, q, pr, pq<,
8t, 30<, MaxSteps -> 3000D;
etc.
mu=2.99 mu=3.00 mu=3.01
1 1 1
0.5 0.5 0.5
-1 -0.5 0.5 1 -1 -0.5 0.5 1 -1 -0.5 0.5 1
-0.5 -0.5 -0.5
-1 -1 -1
-1.5 -1.5 -1.5
-2 -2
q 2 q 1 i q 2 pq SinA q E y
2
Jnum = 10 r2 CosB F SinB F + pq pr CosB F -
2 2 4 2 r
k {
CheckQuantity[traj299, Jnum]
{3.53553, 3.53554, ø2479ù, 3.77704}
CheckQuantity[traj300, Jnum]
{3.53553, 3.53553, ø2479ù, 3.535}
J
3.8
3.7 mu=2.99
3.6
3.5 mu=3.00
3.4
mu=3.01
3.3