DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

St Berchmans College, Changanasseri

Classical Mechanics – Internal Assessment (Electronics & NRE)

Due on: 25 October 2019 Name:

Class No:

1. If two particles with equal masses are moving with the same velocity v in the z-direction,
then the velocity of the of the centre of mass frame is
A) 2v B) v /2 C) v D) zero
2. A particle is experiencing a force F = −ayz î + bzxĵ − cxy k̂. The work done by the force is
independent of the path provided,
A) a = −b = c B) a = −b = −c C) a = b = c D) a = b = −c
3. The number of degrees of freedom of two particles constrained to move in a plane with a
fixed distance between them is
A) 3 B) 4 C) 2 D) 1
m 2 2 2
4. For a system described by the Lagrangian L= [ ( ẋ ) + ( ẏ ) + ( ż ) −2 gz ], where g is a constant,
2
A) x and z are cyclic coordinates. B) y and z are cyclic coordinates.
C) x and y are cyclic coordinates. D) z is a cyclic coordinate.
m 2 2 2 k 2 2
5. The Lagrangian of a three dimensional system is L= [ ( ẋ ) + ( ẏ ) + ( ż ) ] − ( x + y )
2 2
where k is a constant. If P is the linear momentum, then
A) P is conserved. B) P x and P y are conserved.
2
C) P is conserved. D) P z is conserved.
6. A generalized force F acts on a system of particles. Then
A) F will always have the dimensions of a force.
B) F can sometimes have the dimensions of a force.
C) F will never have the dimensions of a force.
D) ∫ Fdq will sometimes have dimensions of energy, where q is the generalized co-ordinate.
7. A moon orbits a distant planet in an elliptical orbit. The distance covered by the moon each
day
A) Is greatest when the moon is nearest to the planet
B) Is greatest when the moon is farthest to the planet
C) Remains the same irrespective of its distance from the planet
D) Remains the same irrespective of its distance from the sun
8. Which of the following transformations is not canonical?
A) Q = aq + bp and P = cq + dp with ad-bc = 1
B) Q = q and P = p
C) Q = p and P = -q
D) Q = p and P = q
9. The Hamilton-Jacobi equation is expressed as H + ∂S/∂t = 0 where H is the Hamiltonian and
S is the Hamilton's principal function. Then, if L is the Lagrangian, S satisfies
A) S = ∫ Ldt + constant B) S = ∫ Hdt
C) S = L + H D) S + L = 0
10. A simple pendulum of length l is suspended from the ceiling of an elevator that is
accelerating upward with constant acceleration a . For small oscillations, the period, T, of
the pendulum is______________

Assignment: Classical Mechanics – Department of Physics, SB College, Changanasseri 1

 11. The total energy of a system of particles is a constant. This is a consequence of
A) Mass energy equivalence B) Symmetry under space translations
C) Symmetry under time translations D) Symmetry under space inversion
12. A variable F is a constant of motion for a system. Then
A) The Poisson bracket with the Lagrangian {F, L} will be zero.
B) The Poisson bracket with the Hamiltonian {F, H} will be zero.
C) Both Poisson brackets will be zero.
D) Any one of the Poisson brackets can be zero.
13. For a classical system with Lagrangian L and Hamiltonian H what does the combination
(H – L) depend on?
A) T alone B) V alone C) Both T and V D) Neither T nor V
14. A particle moves subject to the constraint expressed via the equation x2 +y2 = 5t. The particle
is said to move under which of the following constraints?
A) Cyclic B) Scleronomic C) Non-holonomic D) Holonomic
15. A physical system is subjected to a translation in time. It is found to remain invariant. What
can be concluded from this observation?
A) The total energy of the system is a conserved quantity
B) The net angular momentum is a constant of the motion of the system
C) The net linear momentum is conserved
D) The kinetic energy of the particles in the system is invariant
16. In a central force field,
A) The force is always inversely proportional to the square of the distance
from the centre of the force
B) The force is always directed along the radius vector and depends only on the distance
from the centre of the force
C) The force is always directed along the radius vector and inversely proportional to the
square of the distance from the centre of the force
D) The force is always directed along the radius vector and depends on the distance as well
as on the azimuthal angle
17. The Lagrangian of a system with one degree of freedom q is given by L = α (dq/dt) 2 + β q 2 .
Here α and β are constants. If p denotes the canonical momentum conjugate to q then which
one of the following statements is CORRECT?
A) p = 2 β q and is a conserved quantity
B) p = 2 β q and is not a conserved quantity
C) p = 2 α (dq/dt) and is not a conserved quantity
D) p = 2 α (dq/dt) and is a conserved quantity
18. What does the Poisson bracket {p,H} between the momentum and the Hamiltonian evaluate
to?
A) Zero B) - dp/dt C) dq/dt D) dp/dt
19. The number of degrees of freedom of an ant free to move on the surface of a
sphere is
A) 6 B) 3 C) 2 D) 1
20. A canonical transformation in classical Hamiltonian dynamics
A) Cannot be time dependent
B) Can only be made for the Cartesian coordinates and momenta
C) Cannot be made if there is more than one degree of freedom
D) Leaves the canonical Poisson Bracket relations unchanged
21. A spring of force constant k is cut into n equal parts. The force constant of each part is

___________

Assignment: Classical Mechanics – Department of Physics, SB College, Changanasseri 2

 22. For a particular system, one of the generalized co-ordinates is an angle. What are
the dimensions of the corresponding generalized force component?
A) Force B) Angular momentum C) Energy D) Torque
23. In the Kepler problem of a planet moving in a planar elliptical orbit around the sun, which of
the following quantities is conserved and why?
A) Linear momentum because there are no external forces on the system.
B) Kinetic energy because there are no external forces on the system.
C) Angular momentum because there are no external torques acting on the system.
D) Potential energy because the motion is in one plane.
24. The following examples illustrate constraints in mechanical systems. Which among them is
a non-holonomic constraint?
A) A simple pendulum composed of a weight and an inextensible string attached at the top
end to a pivot.
B) A rigid body in uniform motion under the action of a conservative force field.
C) Foucault pendulum.
D) A particle moving in a smooth horizontal plane.
25. A canonical transformation is effected from (q,p) to (Q,P) via a generating function of the
form F(q, Q, t). What will be the relation between q, p, Q and P?
A) p = ∂F / ∂q ; P = - ∂F / ∂Q B) p = ∂F / ∂q ; P = ∂F / ∂Q
C) q = ∂F / ∂p ; P = - ∂F / ∂Q D) q = ∂F / ∂p ; P = ∂F / ∂Q

26. The Hamilton-Jacobi equation for a harmonic oscillator is __________________________

27. The number of degrees of freedom of a rigid body is
A) 1 B) 6 C) infinity D) 3
28. Which of the following statements is WRONG regarding phase space of a dynamical
system?
A) For a system with n degrees of freedom, the phase space is 2n - dimensional
B) The distribution function is constant along any trajectory in phase space
C) The phase space trajectories of a system can intersect each other
D) The phase curves of a simple pendulum for small amplitudes are ellipses
29. For a system with one degree of freedom, the unit of phase volume is
A) m3 B) m2 C) J s D) J s-1
30. A cylinder of height 2.5 m is filled completely with water. A hole is made at the bottom of
the cylinder in such a way that water is coming out of it. What is the velocity of water
coming out of the cylinder?
A) 6.4 m/s B) 9.8 m/s C) 2.5 m/s D) 7 m/s
31. A particle of unit mass is moving under the influence of an attractive inverse square law of
force directed towards a fixed point. The Lagrangian describing the motion is

______________________________
32. The Poisson bracket of two dynamical variables which are constants of motion is
A) Zero B) 1 C) Not a constant of motion D) A constant of motion
33. Choose the correct statement
A) Finite rotations of a rigid body commute
B) A rigid body has only three degrees of freedom
C) Infinitesimal rotations of a rigid body do not commute
D) Infinitesimal rotations of a rigid body commute

Assignment: Classical Mechanics – Department of Physics, SB College, Changanasseri 3

 34. If the defining relations of the generalized coordinates do not depend explicitly on time and
the potential is not velocity dependent, then the Hamiltonian is given by (T is the kinetic
energy and L is the Lagrangian)
A) H = T – V B) H = 2T – L C) H = 2T + L D) H = L – 2T
35. What is the spring constant of a spring that stretches by 2 cm when a body of mass 0.6 kg is
suspended from it?
A) 0.03 N/m B) 2.94 N/m C) 29.4 N/m D) 294 N/m
36. Two balls, one more massive than the other, are released from rest at the top of an inclined
plane. At the instant of release, the more massive ball will have a greater
A) Kinetic energy B) Potential energy C) Speed D) Momentum
37. A huge rotating cloud of particles and dust in interstellar space gravitate together to form an
increasingly denser object. As it shrinks in size the cloud
A) Rotates faster B) Rotates slower C) Rotates at same speed D) Ceases to rotate
38. A moon orbits a distant planet in an elliptical orbit. The distance covered by the moon each
day
A) Is greatest when the moon is nearest to the planet
B) Is greatest when the moon is farthest to the planet
C) Remains the same irrespective of its distance from the planet
D) Remains the same irrespective of its distance from the sun
39. A transformation is effected from (q,p) to (Q,P) so that Q = aq + bp and P = cq +dp, where
a,b,c and d are constants. This transformation will be canonical if
A) ad - bc = 0 B) ad – bc = 1 C) ad + bc = 0 D) ad +bc = 1
40. A hypothetical tunnel with frictionless walls is built connecting two spots on the Earth that
follows a straight trajectory through the interior, but does not intersect the center of the
Earth. An object is dropped into the tunnel from one end. Assume that the Earth is a uniform
spherical mass M with radius R, and that the medial point of the tunnel passes to within a
distance d of the center (d << R). Then
A) It will execute simple harmonic motion with a period equal to 2 π (√(R3 /GM)
B) It will execute simple harmonic motion with a period equal to 2 π(√(d3 /GM)
C) It will execute simple harmonic motion with a period equal to 2 π(√(dR2 /GM)
D) It will stop at the centre of the tunnel

Assignment: Classical Mechanics – Department of Physics, SB College, Changanasseri 4