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Dynamics of System of Particles

1. The document discusses the concept of center of mass for systems of particles. It provides expressions for calculating the center of mass for systems with 2 or more particles in 1, 2, and 3 dimensions. 2. The motion of the center of mass is also examined. It is shown that if the total external force on the system is zero, then the center of mass will move with constant velocity. 3. Conservation of linear momentum and Newton's second law of motion are also discussed in the context of systems of particles. The center of mass allows treating the whole system as a single particle located at the center of mass.

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Trilok Akhani
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884 views

Dynamics of System of Particles

1. The document discusses the concept of center of mass for systems of particles. It provides expressions for calculating the center of mass for systems with 2 or more particles in 1, 2, and 3 dimensions. 2. The motion of the center of mass is also examined. It is shown that if the total external force on the system is zero, then the center of mass will move with constant velocity. 3. Conservation of linear momentum and Newton's second law of motion are also discussed in the context of systems of particles. The center of mass allows treating the whole system as a single particle located at the center of mass.

Uploaded by

Trilok Akhani
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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1.

DYNAMICS OF A SYSTEM OF PARTICLES


1 Obtain the expression of Centre of Mass of
a system of particles in one dimension for two
particles only.

If the mass of each particle is same i.e. m then

Centre of mass is the point where whole mass

3. Obtain the expression of centre of mass of


System of n-particles in three dimensions.

of the system can be supposed to be


concentrated and motion of the system can be
defined in terms of the centre of mass.
As shown in Fig. consider two particles having
mass m1 and m2 lying on X-axis at distances

Figure shows a system of n particles in three

of x1 and x2 respectively from the origin (O).

dimensions. Let the position vectors of the

The centre of mass of this system is that point

particles of mass m1, m2, ,mn with respect

whose distance from origin O is given by

to the origin O of the coordinate system are


of centre of mass of the system is given by

is also called as mass-weighted average


position of

respectively. The position vector

following equation.

. If both particles are of

the same mass then

Thus the centre of mass of the two particles of


equal mass lies at the centre between the two
particles on the line joining the two particles.
2. Obtain the expression of Centre of Mass of
a system of n particles in one dimension for
two particles only.
If n particles of mass m1, m2, m3,., mn are
lying on X-axis at distance x1,x2,x3,.,xn

where
M= total mass of system of n particles
4. Explain the Motion of Centre of Mass. OR

Consider

and Obtain
Consider the expression of centre of mass of

respectively from the origin O, then the


centre of mass of the system of n particles is

system of

n particles

If the mass of each particle of the system of n


particles does not change with time, then

differentiating this equation with respect to

Where

time.

total mass of the system

of n particles.

SHREEJI ACADEMY OF PHYSICS

TRILOK SIR
(9033619800)

1. DYNAMICS OF A SYSTEM OF PARTICLES

is the velocity of centre of

6. Explain the interdependence of Newtons


laws of motion for a system of particles.
The forces acting on the particles of a system

are the velocities of

are of two kinds. 1) Internal forces among the

mass, and

particles of the system 2) External forces.

respective particles.

where

are the momenta of

respective particles and

is the total momentum of the system of n

For a system of two particles as shown in the


fig, let external forces acting on particles 1 and

particles.
Equation 1 shows that the total momentum of

2 are respectively and , and the mutual

the system of particles is equal to the product

forces of interaction acting between them are

of total mass of the system and velocity of the

and
While discussing overall motion

centre of mass of the system.


5. By considering the motion of centre of mass
explain Newtons second law of motion.
Considering that centre of mass is moving so

its equation of motion

system, all these forces are considered to be


acting on the centre of mass C

According to Newtons third law of motion

Differentiating

this

equation

with

of the

time

so the resultant internal forces

becomes zero.

In the above equation

are the

Thus in equation of resultant force on system

forces acting on the respective particles of the

system and is the resultant force on the


are the acceleration of the

respective particles produced due to these

we include only

The resultant external force acting on a system


is equal to the rate of change of total linear

foreces.

external forces not internal forces.

system.

SHREEJI ACADEMY OF PHYSICS

momentum of the system. This is the

TRILOK SIR
(9033619800)

1. DYNAMICS OF A SYSTEM OF PARTICLES


Newtons second law of motion for a system

particles is zero. i,e, total momentum of the

of particles

system remains constant.

It also shows that the centre of mass of the

This law is fundamental and universal.

system moves under the influence of the

It is true for the system as big as that of

resultant external force as if the whole mass

planets and as small as that of tiny particles

of the system is concentrated at its centre of

like electrons, protons etc.

mass.
Newtons second law of motion for a particle
can be written without the help of the Third
Law. But for a system of particles, the help of

8. Explain Generalization of Work Energy


Theorem.
If

law.

This

fact

is

known

as

interdependence of Newtons laws of motion.


7. Explain the law of conservation of Linear
Momentum for a system of particles.
If the resultant force acting on a system is
zero, then from equation

= constant

, i.e

Newtons Third law is required to obtain


second

then

Means If resultant external force on system of


particles is zero then acceleration of centre of
mass is zero or centre of mass moves with
constant velocity.
e.g. Suppose a chemical bomb is stationary.
The initial momentum and kinetic energy of
the bomb are zero.

If the resultant external force acting on a

When the bomb explodes, its fragments are

system is zero, then the total linear momentum

thrown in air with different momenta in

of the system remains constant. This statement

different direction but it would be in such a

is known as the law of conservation of linear

way that

momentum.
In absence of resultant external force the
momentum of individual particles may change
but these changes occur in such a way that the
vector sum of changes always zero
e.g. The gas molecule in a closed container

Centre of mass of the system of fragments


remains at the same point, where it was
located before explosion of the bomb.
But sum of kinetic energy of fragment is not
zero. Thus the kinetic energy of the system got
changed.

move randomly in the container. During the

As it is known that the change in kinetic

inter atomic collisions or the collision of the

energy of the system is equal to the work done

molecule with the wall of the container, their

by the resultant external force.

momentum changes individually. But the


vector sum of the changes in momenta of all

But here resultant external force is zero then


how does the kinetic energy change?
Chemical bomb possesses internal energy due
to the chemical bonds between its complex

SHREEJI ACADEMY OF PHYSICS

TRILOK SIR
(9033619800)

1. DYNAMICS OF A SYSTEM OF PARTICLES


molecules. When bomb explodes, the internal
energy associated with them is converted into
heat energy and remaining part in the form of
kinetic energy of the fragments.
Thus in this case the work is done at the cost
of internal energy which leads to the more
general form of the work energy theorem.
9. Explain the centre of mass of a rigid body.
A system of particles in which the relative
position of particles remain invariant is called
a rigid body.
The location of centre of mass of a rigid body
depends on the distribution of mass in the
body and the shape of the body.
The centre of mass of a rigid body can be

10. Explain theoretical method to estimate the


centre of mass of a solid body.

anywhere inside or outside the body. For e.g.


the centre of mass of a disc of uniform mass
distribution is at its geometric centre within
the matter, whereas the centre of mass of a
ring of uniform mass distribution lies at its
geometrical centre which is outside of its
matter.
The position of centre of mass of symmetric
bodies with uniform mass distribution can be
easily obtained theoretically. The centre of
mass C of certain symmetric bodies are shown
in fig.

Consider a small

volume element

dV,

containing mass dm. It is called as mass

element. whose position vector is

In this way consider the whole body is divided


in to n small mass elements dm1, dm2,
dm3,,dmn

having

position

vectors

respectively.

Position vector of centre of mass of a solid

body is

This equation can be also represented as


SHREEJI ACADEMY OF PHYSICS

TRILOK SIR
(9033619800)

1. DYNAMICS OF A SYSTEM OF PARTICLES


Representing this equation in terms of its

Thus the point of concurrence of all three

components,

medians will be the CM of the provided solid

object.
12. Obtian the CM of a thin rod of uniform
density with respect to its end.

11. Explain the experimental method of


estimation of the CM of a solid body having
uniform density and geometrical shape.

As shown in the diagram, a rod of mass M,


length L and uniform linear mass density has
uniform cross section area.
Assume one end of the rod at the origin
keeping the rod along the positive X axis.
Consider a length element dx at the distance x
from the origin on the rod.
The mass per unit length of the rod (i.e. linear
mass density) is

To estimate the CM of the solid body having


uniform density and geometrical shape, the

The mass for the length dx would be say dm =

symmetry of the body useful.


Suppose we want to find the CM of the

By definition the CM of the rod should be

triangular solid object as shown in the fig.

For this let imagine that the body is divided


into thin stripes parallel to one particular side
of triangle.
By the law of symmetry, the CM of the
uniformly shaped object lies at its geometrical
centre. Hence the CM of the triangle will be
lying along the median.

[ ]

is the required equation.

So the CM of the rod of uniform density lies in


its middle.

Similarly two such medians can be obtained


by assuming the object divided in to thin
stripes parallel to the other two sides of the
triangle.

SHREEJI ACADEMY OF PHYSICS

TRILOK SIR
(9033619800)

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