Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-physics-b-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2012/paper-1/section-c/c11/ii/solution
Past exam of the physics B course of the University of Cambridge 2012 Paper 1 Section C C11 ii Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-20
For a repulsive inverse-square force, . The effective potential is positive and decreases from infinity to zero, so a trajectory reaching a finite radius has . For nonzero angular momentum, it is the accessible branch of a hyperbola, with . There are no bound ellipses or finite-distance zero-energy parabolas. At zero angular momentum, the motion is straight inward followed by straight outward after reflection at a radial turning point.
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