Find Force Law: Logarithmic Spiral Orbit

• assignment Find Force Law: Spiral Orbit

assignment Homework

Find Force Law: Spiral Orbit
Central Forces 2023 (3 years)

In science fiction movies, characters often talk about a spaceship “spiralling in” right before it hits the planet. But all orbits in a $1/r^2$ force are conic sections, not spirals. This spiralling in happens because the spaceship hits atmosphere and the drag from the atmosphere changes the shape of the orbit. But, in an alternate universe, we might have other force laws.

Find the force law for a central-force field that allows a particle to move in a spiral orbit given by $r=k\phi^2$, where $k$ is a constant.

• assignment Charge on a Spiral

assignment Homework

Charge on a Spiral
Static Fields 2023 (2 years) A charged spiral in the $x,y$-plane has 6 turns from the origin out to a maximum radius $R$ , with $\phi$ increasing proportionally to the distance from the center of the spiral. Charge is distributed on the spiral so that the charge density increases linearly as the radial distance from the center increases. At the center of the spiral the linear charge density is $0~\frac{\textrm{C}}{\textrm{m}}$. At the end of the spiral, the linear charge density is $13~\frac{\textrm{C}}{\textrm{m}}$. What is the total charge on the spiral?
• assignment Undo Formulas for Reduced Mass (Geometry)

assignment Homework

Undo Formulas for Reduced Mass (Geometry)
Central Forces 2023 (3 years)

The figure below shows the position vector $\vec r$ and the orbit of a “fictitious” reduced mass $\mu$.

1. Suppose $m_1=m_2$, Sketch the position vectors and orbits for $m_1$ and $m_2$ corresponding to $\vec{r}$. Describe a common physics example of central force motion for which $m_1=m_2$.
2. Repeat, for $m_2>m_1$.

• assignment Yukawa

assignment Homework

Yukawa
Central Forces 2023 (3 years)

In a solid, a free electron doesn't see” a bare nuclear charge since the nucleus is surrounded by a cloud of other electrons. The nucleus will look like the Coulomb potential close-up, but be screened” from far away. A common model for such problems is described by the Yukawa or screened potential: $$U(r)= -\frac{k}{r} e^{-\frac{r}{\alpha}}$$

1. Graph the potential, with and without the exponential term. Describe how the Yukawa potential approximates the “real” situation. In particular, describe the role of the parameter $\alpha$.
2. Draw the effective potential for the two choices $\alpha=10$ and $\alpha=0.1$ with $k=1$ and $\ell=1$. For which value(s) of $\alpha$ is there the possibility of stable circular orbits?

• group Box Sliding Down Frictionless Wedge

group Small Group Activity

120 min.

Box Sliding Down Frictionless Wedge
Theoretical Mechanics (4 years)

Students solve for the equations of motion of a box sliding down (frictionlessly) a wedge, which itself slides on a horizontal surface, in order to answer the question "how much time does it take for the box to slide a distance $d$ down the wedge?". This activities highlights finding kinetic energies when the coordinate system is not orthonormal and checking special cases, functional behavior, and dimensions.
• group Gravitational Potential Energy

group Small Group Activity

60 min.

Gravitational Potential Energy

Students examine a plastic “surface” graph of the gravitational potential energy of an Earth-satellite system to explore the properties of gravitational potential energy for a spherically symmetric system.
• assignment Effective Potentials: Graphical Version

assignment Homework

Effective Potentials: Graphical Version
Central Forces 2023 (2 years)

Consider a mass $\mu$ in the potential shown in the graph below. You give the mass a push so that its initial angular momentum is $\ell\ne 0$ for a given fixed value of $\ell$.

1. Give the definition of a central force system and briefly explain why this situation qualifies.
2. Make a sketch of the graph of the effective potential for this situation.
3. How should you push the puck to establish a circular orbit? (i.e. Characterize the initial position, direction of push, and strength of the push. You do NOT need to solve any equations.)
4. BRIEFLY discuss the possible orbit shapes that can arise from this effective potential. Include a discussion of whether the orbits are open or closed, bound or unbound, etc. Make sure that you refer to your sketch of the effective potential in your discussions, mark any points of physical significance on the sketch, and describe the range of parameters relevant to each type of orbit. Include a discussion of the role of the total energy of the orbit.

• computer Visualization of Quantum Probabilities for the Hydrogen Atom

computer Mathematica Activity

30 min.

Visualization of Quantum Probabilities for the Hydrogen Atom
Central Forces 2023 (3 years) Students use Mathematica to visualize the probability density distribution for the hydrogen atom orbitals with the option to vary the values of $n$, $\ell$, and $m$.
• computer Effective Potentials

computer Mathematica Activity

30 min.

Effective Potentials
Central Forces 2023 (3 years) Students use a pre-written Mathematica notebook or a Geogebra applet to explore how the shape of the effective potential function changes as the various parameters (angular momentum, force constant, reduced mass) are varied.
• assignment Extensive Internal Energy

assignment Homework

Extensive Internal Energy
Energy and Entropy 2021 (2 years)

Consider a system which has an internal energy $U$ defined by: \begin{align} U &= \gamma V^\alpha S^\beta \end{align} where $\alpha$, $\beta$ and $\gamma$ are constants. The internal energy is an extensive quantity. What constraint does this place on the values $\alpha$ and $\beta$ may have?

• Central Forces 2023 (3 years)

In science fiction movies, characters often talk about a spaceship “spiralling in” right before it hits the planet. But all orbits in a $1/r^2$ force are conic sections, not spirals. This spiralling in happens because the spaceship hits atmosphere and the drag from the atmosphere changes the shape of the orbit. But, in an alternate universe, we might have other force laws.

Find the force law for a mass $\mu$, under the influence of a central-force field, that moves in a logarithmic spiral orbit given by $r = ke^{\alpha \phi}$, where $k$ and $\alpha$ are constants.