Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 301 1 iv Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
First derive the needed gamma-matrix traces directly from the Clifford algebra. The cyclic property of the trace givesso . For , move successively through the other three matrices and cycle the final term back to the front:ThereforeThese are all the trace identities required.
For massless external Dirac spinors, the fermion spin sums are and . With the initial spin average, part (iii) becomes a contraction ofTheir contraction isThe massless Mandelstam variables give and , henceIn the center of mass frame each particle has energy , andSubstitution gives the concise angular answer:
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 301 3 iii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
Use the Lorentz-invariant phase-space measure from the original PDF, including the and factors missing from the local TeX. In the center of mass frame put and , assuming . The spatial Dirac delta distribution sets , leavingSince , the radial integral givesThe invariant flux factor is , using the Källén function. Dividing the phase space by this flux yields , with the final-state labels retained as in the printed formula.
Let . Of the Mandelstam variables, isThe azimuthal integral contributes , and the angular endpoints are thereforeChanging variables gives the requested expression from the formula supplied in the paper:There is a normalization qualification: the displayed starting formula integrates over labeled final momenta and contains no . For the physical cross-section of two indistinguishable outgoing quanta of this real scalar field, the identical-particle factor in a final-state phase-space integral divides the full integral by two. With that convention ; equivalently, integrate only one representative of each exchanged pair. The boxed value follows the given formula exactly.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 ii Paper 4 15E a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
A Lagrange top is a rigid body that is symmetric about a principal axis, has a point on that axis fixed in space, and has its center of mass on the same axis while gravity acts uniformly. Here is the transverse principal moment of inertia about the fixed point, is the moment about the symmetry axis, is the total mass, and is the distance from the fixed point to the center of mass.
The Euler angles for a symmetric top use for inclination, for precession, and for spin about the body axis. Since is a cyclic coordinate, its generalized momentumis conserved. The coordinate is also cyclic, sois a second integral. Finally, the Lagrangian has no explicit time dependence, and conservation of energy from time-translation invariance gives the independent integral
For steady precession set constant and constant. The Euler-Lagrange equation, with , reduces after division by toThis quadratic has a real precession rate precisely when its quadratic discriminant is nonnegative. Hence Steady precession of a Lagrange top is possible if and only if
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 ii Paper 4 15E b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
By the continuous center of mass formula, the distance of the center of mass from the pointed origin is
For a disk of radius , . Therefore the axial moment isFor the transverse -axis, , while every slice also contributes times its mass. HenceBy axial symmetry . These values agree with the moment of inertia of a pointed cubic-profile solid of revolution.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2020 ii Paper 4 8B Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-29
Write the position of a mass element relative to the center of mass as , so its inertial-frame velocity is . The center-of-mass identity removes all cross terms. Define the inertia tensor about the center of mass byThe total angular momentum about the origin and kinetic energy are then
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2021 ii Paper 2 8D Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-25
Let be the center of mass and the uniform gravitational acceleration. The gravitational torque about is
Choose body-fixed principal axes of inertia. The inertial derivative of the angular momentum isFor torque-free motion and , giving the Euler equations for a torque-free rigid body
For a symmetric top, let and let be the axial moment. Then is constant andThus is constant and the transverse angular-velocity vector rotates uniformly about the body symmetry axis. Its rate is ; it precesses in the positive axial sense when and in the opposite sense when this product is negative.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 ia Paper 4 9C a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The center of mass isBy Newton's third law, , soThus is constant. For ,Thereforewhere is the reduced mass.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 iii Paper 309 3 b iii Solution Created 2026-09-28 Updated 2026-10-03
For , the multipole expansion isThe center of mass condition removes the mass dipole. Axisymmetry makes the mixed second moments vanish and gives . Undoing trace reversal therefore yieldswhereThus is the specific angular momentum, and the cross term is the dipole part of the slowly rotating weak-field metric.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 316 3 i Solution 2026-09-25
Since the binary separation and mean motion are both one, the Kepler third law givesThe center of mass condition puts the bodies atin the rotating reference frame. Thus the sketch has , , and in that order along the axis, with , andIn the inertial sketch this entire configuration rotates uniformly about .
The uniform rod has linear mass density . Integrating squared distance from the pivot gives its moment of inertia about the axis perpendicular to the plane of motion:Measure from the downward vertical. The center of mass is at distance from the pivot, so gravity produces the restoring torque . The fixed-axis rotational equation of motion is . Therefore the physical pendulum obeysThe pivot force has zero torque about the pivot.
The rod and disc contribute restoring torques and , respectively. Using i in the rotational equation of motion givesOnly the disc's center of mass enters its gravitational torque; its finite radius enters its moment of inertia. The formula is also regular at , although the source happens to exclude that value.
In a uniform gravitational field, the centre of gravity is the point through which the resultant gravitational weight acts. It coincides with the center of mass:Indeed the sum of the elemental gravitational torques about any origin isReplacing the distributed gravitational forces by the resultant at therefore preserves both total force and torque. A strongly nonuniform field need not permit the same identification.
For equilibrium, all external forces and torques must balance. A freely suspended rigid body supported at a pivot requires on the vertical through that pivot. With below the pivot, a small angular displacement raises its gravitational potential energy and gives a restoring torque; with above it, the equilibrium is unstable. A body supported on a horizontal base can remain at rest under its weight only if the vertical projection of lies within the region that the support forces can sustain. At an edge the overturning torque becomes decisive.
For motion, the center-of-mass equation isThe centre moves as a particle carrying the total mass under the resultant external force, while rotation about it is governed by the external torque and angular momentum. This separates translation from rotation; it does not determine a rigid body's full orientation from its centre's trajectory alone. In uniform gravity and negligible air resistance, a thrown rotating body has a parabolic centre-of-mass path even while its parts follow more complicated paths.
Differentiating orthonormality gives . With , the vector triple product yieldsThe body coordinates of a fixed material point are constant. Differentiating its position therefore givesThis identifies as the angular velocity of the rigid body.
Because is the center of mass, , so the translational contribution to the angular momentum about vanishes. The remaining vector triple product givesThis symmetric matrix is the inertia tensor about . The angular-momentum balance about the center of mass is in an inertial frame. With no external forces, that torque is zero, so the inertial vector is constant. Its components in rotating body axes need not individually be constant.
For the tool, let the disc lie at and the rod extend to . The total mass is and its center is at . Axial symmetry makes the inertia tensor diagonal with .
The standard disc moments are about its normal and about a diameter. A thin rod has moment about a transverse axis through its center. The parallel axis theorem adds for a parallel shift of distance . ThereforeandThe rod contributes zero about its own longitudinal axis. Thus , an isotropic inertia tensor even though the shape is not spherical. This gives a nonspherical rigid body with isotropic inertia. Consequently . Conservation of in torque-free motion proves the angular velocity is constant for every initial orientation and spin.
For an equal-speed elastic impact on a free rod, let be the signed distance of the impact point from the rod's center of mass, , and the horizontal impulse delivered to the rod. For a smooth impact the impulse is perpendicular to the rod. If the ball's signed final velocity is , the rod's center of mass velocity is and its angular velocity is , momentum balance and angular impulse giveBoth objects have positive final translational velocities for a nonzero impact away from the centre. More explicitly, restitution in an elastic collision gives , and henceEqual final speeds thus require . One can also see that the alternative would violate .
By conservation of kinetic energy in the elastic collision,Thus . Since , elimination of givesEither side of the center of mass works; the nearer end is a distance away. The final angular speed is . These values also satisfy the restitution condition because the struck point's velocity is , reversing the initial relative contact velocity.
The free rod has the same mass and length as in part (a). There is no pivot. Put the rod's initial center of mass at and the impact end at . At impact the combined center of mass isConservation of momentum gives the combined center of mass velocity . Evaluate angular momentum about this combined center of mass; the incident ball's perpendicular lever arm is , so its initial magnitude is .
After the perfectly inelastic collision, the parallel axis theorem gives the combined moment of inertiaWith negligible external angular impulse, conservation of angular momentum therefore givesIts sense is that of the incident ball's angular momentum, clockwise in the source diagram. As a consistency check, the final kinetic energy isThus , or one fifth of the initial kinetic energy, is dissipated in sticking. Treating the rod's original centre as a fixed pivot would give an incorrect angular velocity.
Let be the center of mass acceleration downhill and the uphill static friction. Translation and rotation about the center of mass obeyThe rolling without slipping constraint is . For the coin's moment of inertia , this gives , soThe normal force is . Static friction can enforce rolling without slipping only if , givingThe static friction acts uphill to provide the torque; it is not automatically equal to , attaining that limiting value only at the threshold. For finite the result lies between and .
Past exam of the physics B course of the University of Cambridge 2015 Paper 1 Section C C10 Solution 2026-10-20
For the attractive inverse-square force, choose zero potential energy at infinity, so . At either radial turning point , the kinetic energy is purely tangential, with conserved angular momentum . ThusIts two roots are the periapsis and apoapsis distances. Their sum is , whereas the ellipse has . Therefore , with for a nondegenerate bound ellipse. The circular case follows by the double-root limit.
For the two-body problem, define , total mass , reduced mass , and center of mass . The relative equation is , while the isolated center of mass has . Once the relative orbit is known,The relative energy uses in its kinetic energy and in the gravitational potential energy.
In the equal-mass case the initial relative speed is , , and the center-of-mass velocity is half B's initial velocity. ThusNegative relative energy requires . The escape threshold is ; equality is marginal parabolic escape, so a strictly bound pair has .
For , and the relative semimajor axis is . The initial transverse speed is below the relative circular value , so the initial turning point is apoapsis. HenceChoose the initial separation along from A to B, with B's initial velocity . Conservation of angular momentum gives relative periapsis speed . At the opposite end of the ellipse the direction is , soThus B has the same speed as initially but the opposite velocity. A has at that instant. A value for B would be its center-of-mass-frame speed, not the requested initial laboratory frame result.
The relative orbital period follows from Kepler's third law with total gravitating mass :In the center-of-mass frame each star follows an ellipse of semimajor axis and eccentricity , with the center of mass at a focus; they remain opposite on their simultaneous position vectors. In the laboratory frame add the uniform drift along . The laboratory paths of an equal-mass binary are therefore not closed ellipses, even though their relative motion repeats.
