Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-physics-course-of-the-year-1-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2021/section-b/8/g/solution
Past exam of the physics course of the year 1 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2021 Section B 8 g Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-18
For overdamping, . Put . Both characteristic roots are negative real numbers. Replacing trigonometric functions by hyperbolic functions gives the exact trajectoryIt starts from with tangent , bends anticlockwise toward the origin, and approaches it without repeated revolutions. The right panel gives a representative choice ; the paper does not specify one particular value of in this regime.
One can make the qualitative shape precise. In radial and tangential directions relative to the initial radius, the angle turned from the starting direction obeysFor , both coordinates stay positive, and the approach is along the fixed ray with . The initial velocity is tangential, so an immediately straight radial return would be incorrect. The absence of oscillatory characteristic roots prevents repeated revolutions. This is a non-spiralling overdamped central oscillator trajectory.
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