Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2019 / ia / Paper 4 / 9A (Dynamics and Relativity)

The rod imposes a mechanical constraint, and its force is perpendicular to the wrecking ball's instantaneous velocity, so it does no work. In the constant parallel Newtonian gravitational field, the ball falls through the vertical distance $l-l\cos {\theta }_0$. Conservation of energy between $B$ and $W$ therefore givesand hence

Let $C$ be the centre of the Earth and let $M$ be its mass. Since $CW=R$ and $CS=R+l$, the law of cosines in triangle $CSB$ gives the ball's initial distance from $C$ asThe surface value of the Newtonian gravitational field satisfies $g=GM/R^2$. Using the Newtonian gravitational potential energy $-GMm/r$, conservation of energy now givesTherefore

Put $ϵ=l/R$ and $a=1-\cos {\theta }_0$. ThenThe binomial series givessoSince $v_1^2=2gRaϵ$, a second binomial series expansion yieldsThus the constants in the stated Big O notation expansion are