A10287W1

FIRST PUBLIC EXAMINATION

Trinity Term

Preliminary Examination in Physics

Paper CP1: PHYSICS 1

also

Preliminary Examination in Physics and Philosophy

Monday 4 June 2018, 2.30 pm – 5.00 pm

Time allowed: 2 21 hours

Answer all of Section A and three questions from Section B.

Start the answer to each question on a new page.

The use of approved calculators is permitted.

A list of physical constants, mathematical formulae

and conversion factors accompanies this paper.

The numbers in the margin indicate the weight that the Moderators expect to
assign to each part of the question.

Do NOT turn over until told that you may do so.

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 Section A

1. Define the Lagrangian and the Hamiltonian as used in classical mechanics. Prove
that the Hamiltonian is conserved in a system for which the Lagrangian has no explicit
time dependence. [6]

2. A spaceship is required to hover at a constant height just above the surface of a

planet where the acceleration due to gravity is g. The exhaust expels fuel at a constant
speed u, and the initial mass of the spaceship including fuel is M0 . While there is fuel
remaining, what should be the rate of ejected mass α(t) = − dMdt(t) to keep the ship
hovering at rest at a time t? Express your answer in terms of M0 , u, g and t. [6]

3. A ball of mass M and radius r rests on top of a fixed hemisphere of radius R.

There is friction between the ball and hemisphere. The ball is given an infinitesimal
perturbation and rolls down the hemisphere without slipping. Assuming that r  R,
find the angle to the vertical at which the ball loses contact with the hemisphere. [7]
[The moment of inertia of the ball about its principal axis is 25 M r2 .]

4. A non-relativistic particle of mass m1 and speed u1 collides elastically and obliquely

with another particle of mass m2 , which is initially at rest. Draw diagrams illustrating
the situation after the collision in the laboratory frame and in the centre of mass frame.
Show that, after the collision, the scattering angle of m2 in the laboratory frame,
θ2 , is related to the scattering angle, θ∗ , in the centre of mass frame by
sin θ∗
tan θ2 = ,
1 − cos θ∗
where all angles are defined with respect to the initial direction of m1 . [8]

5. An object has velocity components ux and uy in an inertial frame S. Starting

from the Lorentz transforms for space and time, show that the velocity components of
the same object in a frame S 0 , with speed v in the positive x direction relative to S, are
ux − v uy
u0x = 2
and u0y = ,
1 − ux v/c γ (1 − ux v/c2 )

−1/2
where γ = 1 − v 2 /c2 .
As seen from Earth, two spaceships A and B are travelling along perpendicular
directions. If A is observed by a stationary Earth observer to have velocity +0.5c in
the x direction and B to have velocity −0.5c along y, determine the speed of ship B as
measured by the pilot of ship A. [8]

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 6. Muons of energy 6 GeV enter the atmosphere at a height of 15 km above the
surface of the Earth and travel vertically downwards. Given that the muon rest mass
energy is 106 MeV and the mean lifetime in its rest frame is 2.2×10−6 s, what proportion
of the incident muons reach the ground? [5]

Section B

7. State the parallel and perpendicular axis theorems for a thin, planar, rigid body,
defining the terms used. [4]
A simple tennis racquet can be modelled as a circular head that is a uniform ring
of radius a and mass Ma , attached to a handle that is a uniform thin rod of length l
and mass Ml , as illustrated in the diagram below.

axis
origin for finding CM XCM
CM of racquet

P
⇥

a l

(a) Find an expression for the distance, XCM , of the centre of mass (CM) of the
racquet from the centre of the head in terms of a, l, Ma and Ml . [2]
(b) Derive an expression for the moment of inertia of the racquet about the axis
shown in the diagram, which passes through the centre of mass, is perpendicular to the
handle and in the plane of the racquet. (You may leave your answer in terms of the
symbol XCM , where this is given by your answer to (a).) [4]
(c) A racquet is constructed in this simple model with Ma = Ml = M and l = 2a.
A tennis player holds the racquet at the very end of the handle (at point P), and a ball
is launched perpendicularly at the flat face of the head. At what position relative to
the centre of the head should the ball hit, so that the player feels no net force on her
hand? Express your final answer as a fraction of a. [10]

[The moment of inertia of a thin uniform rod of mass M and length l about an axis
1
through its centre of mass and perpendicular to the rod is 12 M l2 .]

1
A10287W1 3 [Turn over]
 8. A point particle of mass m moves within a central potential V (|r|), where r is the
position vector of the particle. Show that the angular momentum about the origin is a
conserved quantity.
Explain how this gives rise to the concept of an effective potential, and give an
expression for it in terms of the magnitude of the angular momentum J, the mass m
and the distance from the origin r = |r|. [6]
A satellite moves in an elliptical orbit of major axis 2a about the Earth. Using
conservation of energy and angular momentum at the distances of closest approach
(perigee) and furthest approach (apogee) to Earth, show that

2 1
 
2
vA = GM − ,
rA a
where rA is the distance of the satellite from Earth, and vA is its speed, at apogee. [6]
When at its apogee, a small retrorocket on the satellite is ignited, which reduces
its speed from v to (1 − )v where   1. Given that rA = a(1 + e), where e is the
eccentricity of the original orbit, and neglecting any change to the satellite’s mass, show
that the major axis of the orbit is reduced by an amount

(1 − e)
4a .
(1 + e)
[8]

9. Explain what is meant by an invariant quantity in the context of special relativity.

Illustrate your answer with the relationship between total energy, momentum and rest
mass for a particle in special relativity. [3]
In the laboratory frame, a particle of rest mass M and total energy E collides with
a stationary antiparticle, also of rest mass M , and annihilates. Calculate the energy
available for the creation of new particles. [5]
Now consider a particle of rest mass M and kinetic energy T in the laboratory,
which collides elastically with an identical particle that is initially stationary. After the
collision, the two particles travel with paths inclined to the original track of the first
particle by ±θ. By considering the motion of the particles in the laboratory frame, or
otherwise, show that
T + 2M c2
cos2 θ = .
T + 4M c2
Find the angle between the two particles, after the collision, for the two cases:
(i) T  M c2 ,
(ii) T  M c2 ,
and briefly comment on the results. [12]

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 10. (a) Consider a mass m on the end of a light spring of natural length l and spring
constant k, which hangs vertically in the Earth’s gravitational field. Let l + x(t) be
the total length of the spring, and assume the mass can move only up and down in the
vertical direction.
Show that, for a particular choice of reference for zero gravitational potential
energy, the Lagrangian for this system is
1 1
L = mẋ2 − kx2 + mg(l + x) ,
2 2
and find the Euler-Lagrange equation of motion. Verify that it is consistent with that
obtained using Newton’s 2nd Law. [5]
(b) Now consider the same spring and mass system, but allow the mass to also
swing from side to side, as shown in the diagram. Let the angle of the spring with the
vertical be θ(t), and let the total length of the spring again be l + x(t). Assume that
the motion is confined to a vertical plane, and that the spring stays in a straight line.

pivot

✓ l+x

Write down the Lagrangian, and find the equations of motion for x and θ. [9]
Show that there are two equilibrium positions at (x, θ) = ( mg
k , 0)
and (− mg
k , π).
For the stable equilibrium, approximate the equations of motion to 1st order in x
and θ, and show that the small oscillations of the pendulum on a spring decouple into
two independent modes. Give a physical interpretation for each mode. [6]

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