Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2021/prelims/mathematics-iv-resit/5/b/solution

The massless inextensible string has a common tension magnitude . Since , the unit vector from the first particle towards the apex is . The second particle lies below the apex, so
The string length constraint is
The velocity of the first particle in cylindrical coordinates is . Therefore the powers delivered by the two tension forces are
Thus
The tension can transfer energy between the particles, but its total power on the pair is zero.

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