Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2021/prelims/mathematics-iv/6/b/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford 2021 Prelims Mathematics IV 6 b Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
Continue with and . The tangent vector to the hoop is . Smooth contact means that the hoop's normal force has zero dot product with this tangent vector. The remaining applied force is , whose dot product with is .
Since , the Coriolis force is perpendicular to the hoop's plane and hence to . AlsoTake the dot product of the rotating-frame Newton's second law with , substitute a, and divide by :DefineThen and , soExpanding the squares makes the cancellation of the mixed terms explicit:The strict inequality follows from . Here is the rotating-frame effective potential per unit mass. Multiplication of the equation by gives the useful first integral .
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