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For the moment of inertia of a uniform solid sphere, write the mass density as $\rho =3m/(4\pi a^3)$. In spherical coordinates about the chosen axis, the squared perpendicular distance is $R^2{\sin }^2\vartheta$. The volume element is $R^2\sin \vartheta dRd\vartheta d\phi$, so

Take $0<\alpha <\pi /2$ and $\ell >0$, with a fixed plane. The normal force has magnitude $N=mg\cos \alpha$ and is perpendicular to the plane. On the perfectly smooth plane there is no friction. Both gravity and the normal force have zero torque about the marble's centre, so a marble released from rest does not rotate. The component of Newton's second law down the plane is $m{A}_1=mg\sin \alpha$, henceThe normal force does no work because the velocity is tangent to the plane. Gravity is conservative, so mechanical energy, the sum of translational kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy, is conserved.

For rolling without slipping, let the static friction force have magnitude $f$, pointing up the plane. It supplies the torque that spins the marble while reducing its translational acceleration. If $\Omega$ is the angular velocity and $A_2$ the acceleration down the plane, the rolling constraint is $a\Omega =\dot{s}$, hence $a\dot{\Omega }=A_2$. The translation and rotation equations areThus $f=I{A}_2/a^2$ andThese are the equations for rolling acceleration with rotational inertia; the plane must be rough enough to supply this static friction.

The point of contact is instantaneously at rest relative to the fixed plane, so static friction does no total work on the rolling marble. Equivalently, its translational power is $-f\dot{s}$ and its rotational power is $fa\Omega =f\dot{s}$, which cancel. The normal force also does no work. Consequently mechanical energy is conserved here too, now with rotational kinetic energy included:where $H$ is the centre's height. No energy loss is implied by the presence of ideal static friction. Constant acceleration from rest gives

For the hollow marble, put $I=\lambda m{a}^2$ in the same equations. The smooth-plane time is unchanged, while the rolling acceleration becomes $g\sin \alpha /(1+\lambda )$. ThereforeThis again assumes rolling without slipping and enough static friction; the ratio depends on the mass distribution through its moment of inertia.

Measure a signed angle $\theta$ from the upward radius $A\to O$ in the direction of falling. With $I_A=3m{a}^2/2$, gravitational torque givesThere is an idealization in the release condition: exactly upright and exactly at rest is an unstable equilibrium, so the exact ideal solution stays there. Uniqueness of this smooth equation with $\theta (0)=\dot{\theta }(0)=0$ prevents spontaneous departure. The usual falling calculation means an infinitesimal disturbance, with its energy tending to that of the upright rest state. For that limiting separatrix motion, conservation of mechanical energy givesOn the branch with increasing angle, $\dot{\theta }=\sqrt{8g/(3a)}\sin (\theta /2)$ for $0<\theta <2\pi$; the opposite branch has the opposite angular velocity. The nontrivial limiting motion approaches the upright position only as $t\to -\infty$, because $dt/d\theta$ has a logarithmically divergent integral near zero.

Let $e_r$ point from $A$ toward $O$, and $e_{\theta }$ in the direction of increasing angle, so $e_r=\sin \theta e_x+\cos \theta e_z$ and $e_{\theta }=\cos \theta e_x-\sin \theta e_z$. The centre of mass acceleration on the limiting falling branch isGravity has components $-mg\cos \theta e_r+mg\sin \theta e_{\theta }$. Applying Newton's second law to the whole disc givesThe signed component parallel to the radius, positive from $A$ toward $O$, is the required $mg(7\cos \theta -4)/3$. This same radial formula is consistent at the exact stationary upright state, where $\theta =0$, $a_O=0$, and $R=mg{e}_z$; nonzero falling angles require the limiting-release interpretation just stated.

Differentiate the mechanical energy and use the damped pendulum equation:The energy dissipation of a damped pendulum makes $E$ nonincreasing, rather than strictly decreasing at every instant: its derivative vanishes at turning points. It is constant along an equilibrium trajectory. Along every nonstationary trajectory it strictly decreases over any nonzero time interval, because a vanishing integral of $c{\dot{\theta }}^2$ over an interval would force an equilibrium there and hence everywhere by uniqueness.

For $c=1$, the even equilibria are stable foci with eigenvalues $(-1\pm i\sqrt{3})/2$, and the odd equilibria are saddle equilibria with eigenvalues $r_{\pm }=(-1\pm \sqrt{5})/2$. The local saddle directions are $y=r_{\pm }[x-(2j+1)\pi ]$.

The phase portrait shows clockwise spiraling into each even equilibrium: on its right-hand horizontal axis, the flow initially points down. The stable separatrices of the saddles divide attraction basins on the unwrapped angle axis, while the unstable branches flow into neighboring sinks. Initial conditions with enough mechanical energy can cross one or more potential crests before being captured. The curves repeat under $x\mapsto x+2\pi$. They are trajectories, not conservative energy contours: energy dissipation of a damped pendulum rules out nonconstant periodic orbits.

Integrating the standard thin-disk dissipation flux over annular area, with both faces already included in $\mathcal{H}$, givesThus the disk luminosity for $r_{\mathrm{out}}\gg r_{\ast }$ isThe Newtonian gravitational potential decreases by approximately $G{M}_{\ast }/r_{\ast }$ per unit mass from a distant outer edge to the surface, giving a potential-energy release rate $G{M}_{\ast }\dot{M}/r_{\ast }$. The standard thin-disk luminosity is half of this.

The missing half remains as kinetic energy of nearly circular orbital motion: at the inner edge $v_K^2=G{M}_{\ast }/r_{\ast }$, so the specific orbital kinetic energy is $G{M}_{\ast }/(2r_{\ast })$. Equivalently, circular motion has total specific mechanical energy $-G{M}_{\ast }/(2r_{\ast })$. Matter joining a slowly rotating star must shed this orbital motion in an accretion-disk boundary layer, producing approximately another $G{M}_{\ast }\dot{M}/(2r_{\ast })$ of luminosity. A rotating star can retain some energy in spin, so equal disk and accretion-disk boundary layer luminosities assume slow stellar rotation. For a central black hole, there is no material surface, and energy can instead be carried inward.

For unit mass, the inverse-square force has potential energy $-k/r$, with zero potential at infinity. Conservation of angular momentum gives $r^2\dot{\theta }=h$. Differentiate the polar equation of the Kepler orbit:Consequently the total mechanical energy iswhere $k=h^2/\ell$. This also explains the sign distinction between an elliptic orbit, a parabolic Kepler orbit, and a hyperbolic Kepler orbit.

At the original periapsis, the parabolic Kepler orbit has $e=1$, $r=d=\ell /2$, and purely tangential speed $V$. ThusThe outward radial impulse has zero moment about the Sun, so it preserves angular momentum and hence $\ell$. Its additional velocity is perpendicular to the original velocity, so the new mechanical energy is $E^{\prime }={\alpha }^2{V}^2/2$. Applying the energy formula givesFor $\alpha >0$, the new orbit is a hyperbolic Kepler orbit; $\alpha =0$ leaves the parabola unchanged.

To fix the orientation of the sketch, put the Sun at the origin, the impulse point at $(d,0)$, and take the original motion there upwards. The new velocity is $(\alpha V,V)$. The eccentricity vector isIt points towards the new periapsis, which is rotated clockwise through $\beta =\arctan (2\alpha )$ from the original periapsis direction. Thus, measured using the original polar angle $\theta$, the new orbit isIn particular, the impulse point is already on the outgoing part of the new orbit and is not its new periapsis. The old parabola satisfies $x=d-y^2/(4d)$. Both orbits pass through $(d,0)$ and have the same focus, but the hyperbola's new periapsis axis is tilted.

The equation of motion isMultiplication by $\dot{x}$ givesso the mechanical energy $E=\frac{1}{2}m{\dot{x}}^2+V(x)$ is conserved. On a segment where the direction of motion is fixed,

The initial transverse velocity gives $h=a(\sqrt{2k}/a)=\sqrt{2k}$. The initial mechanical energy isSince $\Phi (1/u)=-mk{u}^2$ and $m{h}^2/2=mk$, the $u^2$ terms cancel in the conserved energy equation:The initial radial velocity fixes the sign, because $\dot{r}=-h{u}^{\prime }$ gives $u^{\prime }(0)=1/a$. The continuous derivative $u^{\prime }$ cannot change sign while its square remains $1/a^2$. As $u(0)=1/a$, this givesThe future orbit is a hyperbolic spiral: it starts at $(a,0)$, turns counterclockwise and winds indefinitely towards the origin. Its radial distance decreases on every turn. The positive-$r$ continuation has $\theta >-1$, but only $\theta \ge 0$ is needed after release.

To decide whether infinitely many turns require infinite time, use the conserved angular momentum:Integrating from $0$ givesConsequentlyThe particle reaches the origin in finite time, in the sense that $r\to 0$ as $t\uparrow t_{\ast }$. Meanwhile $\theta =t/(t_{\ast }-t)\to \infty$. The central force is undefined at the origin, so these formulas describe motion up to collision. This is finite-time collision in an inverse-cube central force.

Multiply the equation of motion by $\dot{x}$ and integrate. The conserved mechanical energy isThe initial conditions $x=\ell$, $\dot{x}=0$ give $E=-C/\ell$, soInitially $\ddot{x}=-C/(m{\ell }^2)<0$, so the particle starts moving towards the origin. For $0<x<\ell$, factor its kinetic energy asThe quadratic function $x(\ell -x)$ has maximum ${\ell }^2/4$ at $x=\ell /2$. Consequently kinetic energy is strictly positive throughout $0<x<\ell$ exactly when $k{\ell }^3<8C$. Thus the collision threshold isFor ${\ell }_1<\ell <{\ell }_2$ there is no intervening turning point, and the particle collides with the fixed particle. The collision takes finite time: near zero, $|\dot{x}|\sim \sqrt{2C/(mx)}$, so the remaining time is bounded by a constant times ${\int }_0^{\delta }\sqrt{x}dx$.

For $\ell >{\ell }_2$, the first turning point encountered isThe particle oscillates periodically between $x_T$ and $\ell$, around the larger stable equilibrium, without collision. The zeros of $E-V$ at the two endpoints of this allowed region are simple, so travel to each turning point takes finite time. At the boundary $\ell ={\ell }_2$, $x=\ell /2$ is a double zero of $E-V$ and an unstable equilibrium; the inward trajectory approaches it only as $t\to \infty$.

Put $\lambda ={\omega }^2-g/a>0$. The zero value of the first integral in b givesAt the endpoint $r=a$, this gives ${\dot{r}}^2=\lambda a^2/2$. The absolute speed includes radial, azimuthal and vertical components. Since $\dot{z}=\dot{r}$ there,Hence the limiting exit speed isThere is a small initial condition qualification in the wording. The exact initial conditions $r=\dot{r}=0$ give the stationary solution forever, by Picard-Lindelöf theorem. The displayed zero-first integral moving branch instead approaches that unstable equilibrium as $t\to -\infty$.

For a precise small disturbance, release the bead with zero relative velocity at $r=ϵ>0$. Its first integral is $J=-\lambda {ϵ}^2/2$, givingThe bead initially accelerates outward and reaches the end. Letting $ϵ\to 0^{+}$ recovers exactly the stated exit speed. The conserved $J$ is a Jacobi integral associated with the imposed rotation; ordinary mechanical energy need not be conserved because the apparatus driving the wire can do work.

Use $g$ as the gravitational acceleration, so the weights are $mg$ and $\sqrt{2}mg$, consistently with the requested equations. The printed introductory phrase calling $g$ a force magnitude omits the factor $m$.

For the particle on a cone coupled to a hanging mass, write $z=-r$ and use the cylindrical coordinates unit vectors ${\mathbf{e}}_r,{\mathbf{e}}_{\theta },{\mathbf{e}}_z$. The ideal string segment from the cone particle to the hole has length $\sqrt{2}r$ and direction $(-{\mathbf{e}}_r+{\mathbf{e}}_z)/\sqrt{2}$. If $h$ is the downward length of the hanging segment and $s_0$ the fixed total length, thenThe light ideal string and smooth hole give the same tension $T$ on both sides. Applying the vertical component of Newton's second law to the hanging particle givesWrite the normal reaction on the cone particle as $N({\mathbf{e}}_r+{\mathbf{e}}_z)/\sqrt{2}$, allowing $N$ to be signed according to the side of the ideal constraining surface. The acceleration in cylindrical coordinates and Newton's second law giveThere is no azimuthal force. Multiplying the middle equation by $r/m$ proveswhere the positive angular direction is chosen along the initial velocity. This is conservation of angular momentum about the vertical axis.

Subtract the radial equation from the vertical equation to eliminate the normal reaction. Since $\ddot{r}=-\ddot{z}$, this givesSubstitute the tension and the conserved angular momentum, using $r=-z$:Multiplication by $\dot{z}$ now gives an exact time derivative:Initially $z=-a$ and $\dot{z}=0$, because the initial velocity is horizontal. ThereforeThis is also total mechanical energy divided by $m$, with an irrelevant constant removed: the two particles contribute $(1+\sqrt{2})m{\dot{z}}^2$ to the radial and vertical kinetic energy, while their combined gravitational potential energy is $-mgz$ plus a constant.

In terms of the positive cylindrical radius $r=-z$, the conserved mechanical energy becomesThe effective potential $U$ tends to infinity at both ends of $(0,\infty )$ for $v>0$, and $U^{\prime \prime }(r)=3a^2{v}^2/r^4>0$. Thus its two turning points enclose the allowed radial motion. At a turning point, $\dot{r}=0$, soBesides $r=a$, the positive root of a polynomial isthe other root of a polynomial is negative. The quadratic polynomial $Q(r)=2g{r}^2-v^{2}r-a{v}^2$ is negative at zero and has just one positive root of a polynomial. Since $Q(a)=2a(ga-v^2)$, we have $r_{\ast }<a$ when $v^2<ga$, and $r_{\ast }>a$ when $v^2>ga$.

Height is $z=-r$, so its maximum occurs at the smaller positive turning point. HenceIndeed, the initial vertical acceleration isBelow the critical speed the particle first rises to $z=-r_{\ast }$; above it the particle initially descends, and its initial height is already its greatest height. At $v=\sqrt{ga}$ the turning points merge and the particle follows a horizontal circular orbit at $z=-a$. For zero initial speed the radial conservation of energy gives motion to the apex level $z=0$; if the hole excludes the apex itself, zero is the supremum of the heights before arrival at the hole.

These are the heights under the maintained mechanical constraint used in part (a). A unilateral contact with only one side of a cone would additionally require checking the sign of the normal reaction; the ideal constrained equations alone do not impose that condition.

Write $q=|\dot{\mathbf{r}}|=\sqrt{{\dot{r}}^2+r^2{\dot{\theta }}^2}$. Differentiating the angular momentum and applying Newton's second law givesThe central force contributes no torque, because it is parallel to $\mathbf{r}$. The angular momentum direction is fixed whenever it is nonzero; the motion is consequently planar. In the plane's polar coordinates, $\mathbf{L}=mh{\mathbf{e}}_z$, soFor the mechanical energy, use the chain rule, Newton's second law, and $V^{\prime }(r)=-F_c(r)$:ThusFor a trajectory on a time interval, both $h$ and $E$ are each a constant of motion precisely when $\alpha =0$ or the velocity vanishes throughout that interval. Under the stated strictly attractive central force at a regular point $r>0$, a permanently stationary trajectory is impossible by Newton's second law. For the stated attractive motion, both are conserved if and only if $\alpha =0$. An isolated instant of zero speed only makes the derivatives vanish at that instant. A radial trajectory has $h=0$ even with quadratic drag, but its mechanical energy still decreases whenever it moves.

Initially $\dot{r}=0$ also gives $\dot{z}=H^{\prime }(b)\dot{r}=0$. Thus the initial velocity is azimuthal, with $|h|=bv$. By conservation of energy, the supplied mechanical energy divided by $m/2$ givesThe first term is nonnegative. ConsequentlyFor a positive launch speed $v>0$, introduce twice the radial effective potential on a surface of revolution per unit mass,It satisfiesso it is a strictly convex function. Also $S(r)\to \infty$ as $r\to \infty$. To justify the other endpoint carefully, convexity gives $H(r)\ge H(b)+H^{\prime }(b)(r-b)$ for $0<r<b$. This supplies a finite lower bound near $0$, and the positive $r^{-2}$ term consequently forces $S(r)\to \infty$ there.

Thus $S$ has a unique minimum at some $r_m>0$. Its derivative is strictly increasing and zero there, so $S$ decreases to $r_m$ and increases afterwards. Its sublevel set $S(r)\le B$ is a single interval $[b_1,b_2]$, with $0<b_1\le b\le b_2<\infty$. If $B>S(r_m)$, the two boundary equations $S(b_i)=B$ have distinct solutions; if $B=S(r_m)$, both boundaries are $r_m$. The conservation of energy identity therefore provesThe two radii coincide exactly when $b=r_m$, equivalently $S^{\prime }(b)=0$. This givesThe equation in b then has the constant solution $r=b$, with $\dot{\theta }=\pm v/b$: this is a circular orbit.

A positive inner bound requires $v>0$. If zero launch speed is allowed, $h=0$ and the displayed inequality only gives $r\le b$ because $H$ is strictly increasing; one may take the limiting inner bound $b_1=0$. For example, $H(r)=r^2$ satisfies all the stated hypotheses but permits inward motion from rest all the way towards the excluded axis. The two-positive-turning-radii argument therefore uses the natural interpretation of “launched with speed $v$” as $v>0$.

Differentiate the sum of kinetic energy and potential energy using the dot product product rule:The equations of motion make the bracket zero. Hence the mechanical energy is constant in time. The central restoring force can exchange kinetic and potential energy but supplies no change in their sum.

For a variation $q\mapsto q+ϵ\eta$ with $\eta (t_0)=\eta (t_1)=0$, the first variation isThe endpoint term vanishes. Since the interior variation is arbitrary, the fundamental lemma of the calculus of variations gives the Euler-Lagrange equationAlong such a trajectory,If $L$ has no explicit time dependence, the first integral is thereforeIts negative is the equivalent Beltrami form. For the usual time-independent mechanical Lagrangian $L=T-V$ with quadratic velocity dependence, this conserved quantity is the total mechanical energy $T+V$.

Setting $1/r\to 0$ in b gives the asymptotic speedThe radicand is positive, so the ideal probe has positive total mechanical energy and escapes the Sun. The later dust-cloud model takes this limiting speed as its initial speed.

At a fixed launch radius the escape threshold is zero total mechanical energy. It depends on the initial speed alone:A direction aimed into the planet can of course cause impact before escape. If the planet rotates, the ground-relative launch velocity must be added to $\mathbf{\Omega }\times \mathbf{R}$ to obtain the inertial velocity. The condition becomes $|\mathbf{u}+\mathbf{\Omega }\times \mathbf{R}{|}^2\ge 2GM/R$: prograde launch needs less ground-relative speed than retrograde launch. For a spherical planet the threshold expressed as inertial speed at the same radius remains independent of direction.

For a satellite of mass $m$ moving in the Newtonian gravitational field of a much larger, effectively fixed mass $M$, put $\mu =GM$. Its conserved mechanical energy, with gravitational potential energy zero at infinity, isHere $r$ is the instantaneous centre-to-centre distance, $v$ the satellite's speed, $G$ the gravitational constant, and $a$ the semi-major axis of its bound elliptic orbit. The kinetic energy and potential energy vary around the orbit, while their sum remains constant. Dividing by $m$ and solving for $v$ gives the vis-viva equation, $v^2=\mu (2/r-1/a)$.

For this Hohmann transfer orbit, the periapsis and apoapsis distances are $r_1=1\mathrm{AU}$ and $r_2=1.52\mathrm{AU}$, soThe vis-viva equation gives the endpoint speedsAs a check, conservation of angular momentum at the two endpoints gives $r_1{v}_{\mathrm{p}}=r_2{v}_{\mathrm{a}}$ because each velocity is perpendicular to its radius. Using $1\mathrm{AU}=1.49598\times 10^{11}\mathrm{m}$ and $\mu =1.32712\times 10^{20}{\mathrm{m}}^3{\mathrm{s}}^{-2}$ gives $v_1=29.78\mathrm{km}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$ andThe departure impulse must increase the speed in the direction of the initial circular orbit:These are Sun-centred speeds; leaving the Earth's own gravitational field would require an additional calculation beyond this idealized solar orbit transfer.

At $r_2$, the desired circular orbit speed is $v_2=\sqrt{\mu /r_2}=24.16\mathrm{km}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$. The arrival impulse is thereforeThe required thrust on the spacecraft is forward, tangent to its orbit, to accelerate it. The rocket ejects exhaust backwards, opposite to the spacecraft's velocity; this distinguishes the direction of thrust from the direction in which the exhaust is fired.

The Hohmann transfer time is half the orbital period of the transfer ellipse. From Kepler's third law, relative to the Earth's one-year orbital period,Meanwhile Mars's orbital period is $T_M=1.52^{3/2}\mathrm{yr}=1.8740\mathrm{yr}$. The spacecraft arrives $\pi$ radians from its departure position. For a rendezvous, Mars must reach that same position after advancing through $2\pi t_H/T_M$. Thus its initial lead angle over the departing spacecraft isMars must be ahead by this angle in the common direction of motion around their orbits. At departure the spacecraft and the Earth share the inner orbital position; arrival occurs on the opposite side of the Sun.

Let $t=0$ be the start of deposition and $I_0=M{R}^2/2$ be the original moment of inertia of a uniform disc. Assume that all deposited sand sticks and remains at radius $r$, with negligible thickness and no losses. The sand's incoming angular momentum about the vertical axis is zero. Neither the bearing nor gravity supplies an axial torque, so conservation of angular momentum givesConsequently the angular velocity and angular acceleration areThe rotational kinetic energy isThus, for $\alpha r^2>0$,This is mass-loaded rotation: the sticking process dissipates mechanical energy even though angular momentum is conserved. Indeed $\dot{K}=-\alpha r^2{\omega }^2/2$. If $r=0$ or $\alpha =0$, no additional axial moment of inertia is deposited and the nonzero initial rotational kinetic energy never halves.