Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-physics-1-paper-of-the-university-of-oxford/2022/5/b/solution

A constant displacement proportional to leaves the velocities unchanged and changes by zero. It is therefore a continuous symmetry of the Lagrangian. The generalized momentum components are
Noether's theorem gives the conserved quantity
A direct check using the Euler-Lagrange equations is
The normalization of a symmetry generator is arbitrary. One can take the transformation parameter to have length units and dimensionless, giving the units of momentum. Alternatively, for the paper's convention with dimensionless parameter and length-valued , use ; the conserved quantity is then . The conserved content is identical.

New to topics? Read the docs here!