Chapter 3: Problem 9
A particle of mass \(m\) is free to move in a horizontal plane. It is attached to a fixed point \(O\) by a light elastic string, of natural length \(a\) and modulus \(\lambda\). Show that the tension in the string is conservative and show that the Lagrangian for the motion when \(r>a\) is $$ L=\frac{1}{2} m\left(\dot{r}^{2}+r^{2} \dot{\theta}^{2}\right)-\frac{\lambda}{2 a}(r-a)^{2} $$ where \(r\) and \(\theta\) are plane polar coordinates with origin \(O\).
Short Answer
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.