I Tong Dynamics: cannot cancel angle from orbit energy expression calculation

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The discussion revolves around a challenge in deriving the energy expression from David Tong's lectures, specifically the formula E = (mk² / 2l²)(e² - 1). The user struggles to understand how the angle θ cancels out in the energy calculation, despite recognizing that energy is a constant of motion. They initially mismanaged the variables by not expressing the radius r in terms of r₀, θ, and eccentricity. After realizing this oversight, the user plans to revisit the calculation the following day. The conversation highlights the importance of correctly substituting variables in physics calculations.
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Hi, I love the lectures by David Tong. Usually I can follow his calculations (but I am not yet so far into the lectures...). But one that I just cannot do is the derivation of the energy in (4.16), the expression being ##E = \frac {mk^2} {2 l^2} (e^2 - 1)##, where l is the constant angular momentum of the orbit of the single point particle, m its mass, V(r) = - k/r the expression for the potential and e the eccentricity of the orbit.
I just don't see how using the expression ##\frac {dr} {d\theta} = \frac {r_0 e \sin(\theta)} {(1+e \cos(\theta))^2}## (page 59) in the expression of the energy using the effective potential cancels out the angle ##\theta##. Of course it has to work since the energy is a constant of motion, but no matter what trigonometric manipulations I use, it does not cancel out the angle.
In case it is not so readable I have attached the relevant sections from the lecture
 

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Are you cancelling units or dimensions?
An angle is a ratio, it has no dimension.
 
Thanks! I know, the angle is dimensionless, but still the energy cannot depend on the angle.

I just found why I could not continue with the calculation: I left the radius r in the expression for the energy, but I need to expand it in terms of r_0, theta and the eccentricity as well! It is getting late here. I will do the calculation tomorrow.
 
Hello everyone, Consider the problem in which a car is told to travel at 30 km/h for L kilometers and then at 60 km/h for another L kilometers. Next, you are asked to determine the average speed. My question is: although we know that the average speed in this case is the harmonic mean of the two speeds, is it also possible to state that the average speed over this 2L-kilometer stretch can be obtained as a weighted average of the two speeds? Best regards, DaTario
This has been discussed many times on PF, and will likely come up again, so the video might come handy. Previous threads: https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/is-a-treadmill-incline-just-a-marketing-gimmick.937725/ https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/work-done-running-on-an-inclined-treadmill.927825/ https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/how-do-we-calculate-the-energy-we-used-to-do-something.1052162/
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