Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2015/prelims/mathematics-iv/3/a/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford 2015 Prelims Mathematics IV 3 a Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
In cylindrical coordinates,Differentiating the position vector twice gives the velocity and accelerationThis derives acceleration in cylindrical coordinates rather than assuming it.
At a fixed time, the wire has parametrization . Its derivative is the nonzero tangent vectorA smooth wire exerts a constraint force with . Because is the gravitational acceleration, the gravitational force is ; the printed is interpreted per unit mass. Projecting Newton's second law, , along eliminates :The chain rule gives . Rearrangement yieldsThis is the governing equation for a bead on a uniformly rotating wire. Its azimuthal acceleration contributes nothing to the projection because .
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