What kind of motion will the body do?

  • Context: MHB 
  • Thread starter Thread starter mathmari
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Body Motion
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the motion of a body with a given mass and potential energy function, specifically analyzing the dynamics described by the equation of motion derived from the potential energy. Participants explore how to determine the nature of the motion based on the derived equations and potential energy characteristics, including graph analysis and integral calculations.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant derives the equation of motion from the potential energy function and expresses uncertainty about the correctness of their approach.
  • Another participant suggests performing a graph analysis to understand the motion better, including determining when the velocity is zero and graphing acceleration and velocity as functions of position.
  • Discussion includes the calculation of an integral to find time as a function of position, with participants questioning the dependence of variables on each other.
  • Participants discuss the nature of the motion, suggesting it appears to be almost linear initially, followed by a sharp drop, but do not agree on a specific name for this type of motion.
  • There is mention of the potential for using Lagrangian mechanics for more complex problems, though it is deemed unnecessary for the current discussion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express various viewpoints on the nature of the motion, with some suggesting it is almost linear while others note the sharp drop-off. There is no consensus on a specific name for the motion or a definitive conclusion about the behavior of the body.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the need for careful consideration of the intervals where the derived equations are valid, particularly regarding the invertibility of the function and the implications of negative values for time.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for those interested in classical mechanics, particularly in understanding motion under conservative forces and the application of differential equations in physics.

mathmari
Gold Member
MHB
Messages
4,984
Reaction score
7
Hey! :o

The potential energy of a body with mass $ m=3 $ is given by the function $ U(x)=\frac{2}{5}x^5$. Initially the body is at the position $x=0$ and has velocity with metre $1$.
How can I find what kind of motion the body will do??

I have done the following:

$$F=ma=3v'=3x''$$

$$F=-U_x=-2x^4$$

$$3x''=-2x^4 \Rightarrow x''=-\frac{2}{3}x^4$$

$$ x''x'=-\frac{2}{3}x^4 x' $$

$$ \int_0^t x''x' du=-\int_0^t \frac{2}{3}x^4 x' du \Rightarrow \int_0^t \left ( \frac{1}{2} (x')^2 \right )' du=- \int_0^t \left ( \frac{2}{15} x^5 \right )' du \\ \Rightarrow \frac{1}{2} ((x'(t))^2-(x'(0))^2)=-\frac{2}{15} (x^5(t) -x^5(0))\Rightarrow (x'(t))^2-1=-\frac{4}{15}x^5(t) \Rightarrow x'(t)=\pm \sqrt{1-\frac{4}{15}x^5(t)}$$

Is this correct??

How can I conclude from that what kind of motion the body will do?? (Wondering)

Or is there an other way to find this?? (Wondering)
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Hey mathmari! (Happy)

mathmari said:
Hey! :o

The potential energy of a body with mass $ m=3 $ is given by the function $ U(x)=\frac{2}{5}x^5$. Initially the body is at the position $x=0$ and has velocity with metre $1$.
How can I find what kind of motion the body will do??

I have done the following:

$$F=ma=3v'=3x''$$

$$F=-U_x=-2x^4$$

$$3x''=-2x^4 \Rightarrow x''=-\frac{2}{3}x^4$$

$$ x''x'=-\frac{2}{3}x^4 x' $$

$$ \int_0^t x''x' du=-\int_0^t \frac{2}{3}x^4 x' du \Rightarrow \int_0^t \left ( \frac{1}{2} (x')^2 \right )' du=- \int_0^t \left ( \frac{2}{15} x^5 \right )' du \\ \Rightarrow \frac{1}{2} ((x'(t))^2-(x'(0))^2)=-\frac{2}{15} (x^5(t) -x^5(0))\Rightarrow (x'(t))^2-1=-\frac{4}{15}x^5(t) \Rightarrow x'(t)=\pm \sqrt{1-\frac{4}{15}x^5(t)}$$

Is this correct??

Yep!
How can I conclude from that what kind of motion the body will do?? (Wondering)

We can take it slightly further.
$$\d x t = \pm \sqrt{1-\frac{4}{15}x^5(t)}$$
$$dt = \pm \frac{dx}{\sqrt{1-\frac{4}{15}x^5(t)}}$$
$$t = \int \pm \frac{dx}{\sqrt{1-\frac{4}{15}x^5}}$$Anyway, to understand the kind of motion, we should do a graph analysis.
That is, figure out for instance what $x$ is when $x'(t)=0$.
Graph $x''$, and $x'$ as functions of x.
Figure out (approximately) at which time $x$ takes its maximum value.
Deduce what happens afterwards... (Thinking)
Or is there an other way to find this?? (Wondering)

Not that I know of.
You already seem to know everything! (Happy)What you may find interesting is that for instance $x''(t)$ is usually written as $\ddot x$. This is Newton's notation for a derivative with respect to time.
It makes the notation in these type of classical mechanics problems significantly shorter, making it easier to understand (once you get used to it).

And to approach more complicated problems, we would get into Lagrangrian mechanics. But in this case that doesn't add anything of value. (Dull)
 
I like Serena said:
Anyway, to understand the kind of motion, we should do a graph analysis.
That is, figure out for instance what $x$ is when $x'(t)=0$.
Graph $x''$, and $x'$ as functions of x.
Figure out (approximately) at which time $x$ takes its maximum value.
Deduce what happens afterwards... (Thinking)
When $\dot x=v=0$ then $1-\frac{4}{15}x^5=0 \Rightarrow \frac{4}{15}x^5=1 \Rightarrow x=\sqrt[5]{\frac{15}{4}}$.Since $\sqrt{1-\frac{4}{15}x^5}$ is well defined when $1-\frac{4}{15}x^5>0 \Rightarrow \frac{4}{15}x^5<1 \Rightarrow x<\sqrt[5]{\frac{15}{4}}$, we graph both $\ddot x$ and $\dot x$ at this interval, right??

The graph of $\ddot x$ is the following:
[desmos="- infty,(15/4)^(1/5),,"]-\frac{2}{3} x^4[/desmos]

The graph of $\dot x$ is the following:
[desmos="- infty,(15/4)^(1/5),,"]\sqrt{1-\frac{4}{15}x^5};-\sqrt{1-\frac{4}{15}x^5}[/desmos]How can I figure out at which time $x$ takes its maximum value?? (Wondering)
 
mathmari said:
When $\dot x=v=0$ then $1-\frac{4}{15}x^5=0 \Rightarrow \frac{4}{15}x^5=1 \Rightarrow x=\sqrt[5]{\frac{15}{4}}$.Since $\sqrt{1-\frac{4}{15}x^5}$ is well defined when $1-\frac{4}{15}x^5>0 \Rightarrow \frac{4}{15}x^5<1 \Rightarrow x<\sqrt[5]{\frac{15}{4}}$, we graph both $\ddot x$ and $\dot x$ at this interval, right??

The graph of $\ddot x$ is the following:The graph of $\dot x$ is the following:

Good! (Smile)
How can I figure out at which time $x$ takes its maximum value?? (Wondering)

By making an approximation of:
$$t = \int_0^{\sqrt[5]{15/4}} \frac{dx}{\sqrt{1-\frac{4}{15}x^5}}$$We can try to make a graph of $x(t)$ now.
How do you think it starts? (Wondering)
 
I like Serena said:
By making an approximation of:
$$t = \int_0^{\sqrt[5]{15/4}} \frac{dx}{\sqrt{1-\frac{4}{15}x^5}}$$

I got stuck right now.. To calculate this integral do we suppose that $x$ does not depend on $t$?? (Wondering)
 
mathmari said:
I got stuck right now.. To calculate this integral do we suppose that $x$ does not depend on $t$?? (Wondering)

Sort of.

We have that $x$ is a function of $t$.
That means that the inverse function is $t$ as a function of $x$.
That is what we calculate.
To say it in other words, if we define $f(t)=x(t)$, then $t(x)=f^{-1}(x)$. (Nerd)

We really want to find $x(t)$, but that is not so easy.
At least we can say something about $t(x)$.

For the first part of the trajectory, where $x(t)$ is invertible, we have:
$$t=\int_0^x \frac {du} {\sqrt{1-\frac 4{15} u^5}}$$

For $x=\sqrt[5]{15/4}$, we get (from W|A):
$$t=\int_0^{\sqrt[5]{15/4}} \frac {du} {\sqrt{1-\frac 4{15} u^5}}
\approx 1.633$$So... what would the graph of $x(t)$ versus $t$ look like? (Wondering)
 
Here's what I found. (Worried)

View attachment 3101

(Almost) linear movement up, followed by symmetric linear movement down, ending with a near vertical drop.
 

Attachments

  • Movement_of_body.png
    Movement_of_body.png
    3.7 KB · Views: 118
mathmari said:
Hi! :o

I wanted to reply to the thread http://mathhelpboards.com/other-advanced-topics-20/what-kind-motion-will-body-do-11945.html but I couldn't submit it.. (Dull)

Hi mathmari! (Wave)

We figured out that you can post again if you close the Topic Review that shows the previous posts, which in particular removes the post with the Desmos graphs from view.

I have also created a thread in the feedback forum:
http://mathhelpboards.com/questions-comments-feedback-25/submit-preview-do-not-work-some-threads-due-desmos-12019.html
mathmari said:
Do we take the limits at the integral as you did at the post #6, because the time $t$ is a function of $x$, and $x$ must be $\geq 0$ ?? (Thinking)

We consider $x$ as an invertible function of $t$, so that we can talk of $t(x)$.
$x$ doesn't necessarily have to be greater than $0$, but if it isn't, it will yield negative values for $t$.

(Wait) That might show what happened to the body before it started in $x=0$.

Anyway, at this time we are interested in $t \ge 0$ with $x$ starting at $x_0=0$, meaning it will get values $x \ge 0$.
Do we get the graph by calculating $t$, so the integral, for different values for $x$ on the interval $[0, \sqrt[5]{\frac{15}{4}}]$ ?? (Thinking)

The integral for calculating $t$ only works for the part of the domain where $x(t)$ is invertible, and where $x_0=0$ and $\dot x_0 = 1$.
That is indeed the interval $[0, \sqrt[5]{\frac{15}{4}}]$.

To get the graph for other parts of the domain, we can solve the differential equation again for different boundaries. (Thinking)
Has the movement as you described at the post #7 a specific name?? (Wondering)

Not that I know of.
I can only tell that the first part of the movement is (almost) linear, since the acceleration of the body stays close to zero for a fairly long time.
You can also see this in the speed graph, which shows that the speed remains nearly constant for some time, after which it drops off fairly sharply to zero.

After that it will fall back, and due to the nature of the so called conservative force, it will make the same linear movement back.
You can see this in the speed graph, which shows that it will make the same movement, but in reverse. (Mmm)
 
I like Serena said:
We figured out that you can post again if you close the Topic Review that shows the previous posts, which in particular removes the post with the Desmos graphs from view.

I have also created a thread in the feedback forum:
http://mathhelpboards.com/questions-comments-feedback-25/submit-preview-do-not-work-some-threads-due-desmos-12019.html

Ok! Great! (Whew)
I like Serena said:
We consider $x$ as an invertible function of $t$, so that we can talk of $t(x)$.
$x$ doesn't necessarily have to be greater than $0$, but if it isn't, it will yield negative values for $t$.

(Wait) That might show what happened to the body before it started in $x=0$.

Anyway, at this time we are interested in $t \ge 0$ with $x$ starting at $x_0=0$, meaning it will get values $x \ge 0$.

The integral for calculating $t$ only works for the part of the domain where $x(t)$ is invertible, and where $x_0=0$ and $\dot x_0 = 1$.
That is indeed the interval $[0, \sqrt[5]{\frac{15}{4}}]$.

To get the graph for other parts of the domain, we can solve the differential equation again for different boundaries. (Thinking)

Not that I know of.
I can only tell that the first part of the movement is (almost) linear, since the acceleration of the body stays close to zero for a fairly long time.
You can also see this in the speed graph, which shows that the speed remains nearly constant for some time, after which it drops off fairly sharply to zero.

After that it will fall back, and due to the nature of the so called conservative force, it will make the same linear movement back.
You can see this in the speed graph, which shows that it will make the same movement, but in reverse. (Mmm)
I see! (Smile) Thanks a lot for your help! (Mmm)
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
7K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
1K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
3K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K