Does Lagrangian Mechanics Handle Variable Mass System?

[Pikkugnome]

How to handle a variable mass system with Lagrangian mechanics? As far as I understand Newtonian mechanics fails, because the object is not constant anymore, it is updated every moment to a new object with different physical properties. I don't immediately see how Lagrangian mechanics can do better.

 

[Orodruin]

What makes you think Newtonian mechanics cannot handle variable mass systems? If that were the case it would be difficult to build a rocket to go to the Moon etc.

 

[Pikkugnome]

The first and second law specifically talk about one object. I don't think it is possible to define an object on the fly so to speak as one wishes. What would be the form of the 2nd law, if the object itself was a variable?

 

[PeroK]

The first and second law specifically talk about one object. I don't think it is possible to define an object on the fly so to speak as one wishes. What would be the form of the 2nd law, if the object itself was a variable?

A lot of Internet sources get wrong the treatment of a variable mass system. Not Wikipedia:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable-mass_system

 

[wrobel]

I have seen several attempts to adapt Lagrangian formalism for variable mass systems. In my opinion all of them failed. Actually I think that there is no satisfactory theory of variable mass systems at all.