Engineering Mathematics I - Extension Tutorial 15

A 4m4m square frame supports four identical springs that are attached to a mass of
1 kg. We adopt the coordinate system such that the centre of the square is the origin.
The x-axis corresponds to the horizontal position of the mass and the y-axis the vertical
position (See figure 1). Each spring has a stiffness of k = 1 Nm1 .

Figure 1: A mass supported by four identical springs.

(a) By resolving the forces on the mass from the springs in the x and y directions, and
using Newtons second law, derive the differential equation that governs this system as:
 
   
x
x
0
+ 4p = 0
p
+4
=
(1)
y
y
0
(b)

By considering each component in turn, show the solution to (1) is



c1 sin(2t) + c2 cos(2t)
p(t) =
.
c3 sin(2t) + c4 cos(2t)

(c) Given initial conditions p(0) = (px , py )T and p0 (0) = v(0) = (vx , vy )T determine
c1 , c2 , c3 and c4 .
(d) The mass is pulled up 1 m and given an initial velocity of 2 ms1 in the x direction.
Show that the speed of the moving mass is constant. What shape does the path of the
mass outline?
(e) The same experiment is repeated, but this time the mass is released with only half
the speed. Is the speed of the moving mass constant? What is the new shape of the path
outlined by the moving mass?

SOLUTION
(a)
hint 1: Determine the force from each spring as a vector using Hookes Law F = kx.
hint 2: Use Newtons second law that says the resultant (total) force is F = ma .
The force of each spring may be found using Hookes Law: F = kx = x. x is the
vector from where the spring is attached to the frame (2, 2) to the centre of the mass
(x, y). Thus the four forces are,
   
   
2
x
2
x
F1 =
+
,
F2 =
+
,
2
y
2
y
   
   
2
x
2
x
F3 =
+
,
F4 =
+
.
y
2
y
2
The resultant (total) force is thus F1 + F2 + F3 + F4 = 4p where p = (x, y)T .
d2
.
From Newtons Second Law the resultant force F = ma = 1 2 p = p
dt
= 4p p
+ 4p = 0.
Thus p
(b)
and check it satisfies (1).
hint 1: Differentiate p twice to get p





c1 sin(2t) + c2 cos(2t)
2c1 cos(2t) 2c2 sin(2t)
0
p(t) =
, p (t) = v(t) =
,
c3 sin(2t) + c4 cos(2t)
2c3 cos(2t) 2c4 sin(2t)


4c1 sin(2t) 4c2 cos(2t)
00
p (t) = a(t) =
.
4c3 sin(2t) 4c4 cos(2t)

(c)
hint 1: Put t = 0 into p(t) and p(t).
Using p(t) and p0 (t) from (b):

 
  
c1 sin(0) + c2 cos(0)
0 + c2
px
p(0) =
=
=
c2 = p x ,
c3 sin(0) + c4 cos(0)
0 + c4
py

 
  
2c1 cos(0) 2c2 sin(0)
2c1 + 0
v
0
p (0) =
=
= x c1 =
2c3 cos(0) 2c4 sin(0)
2c3 + 0
vy

c4 = py .
1
vx ,
2

1
c3 = vy .
2

Thus
1
p(t) =

v
2 x
1
v
2 y


sin(2t) + px cos(2t)
.
sin(2t) + py cos(2t)

(d)
hint 1: Determine the initial conditions (px , py ) and (vx ,p
vy ).
hint 2: The speed is the magnitude of the velocity |v| = x 2 + y 2 .

   
px
0
p(0) =
=
,
py
1

   
v
2
p (0) = v(0) = x =
.
vy
0
0

Thus

p(t) =


sin(2t)
cos(2t)

v(t) =


2 cos(2t)
.
2 sin(2t)

The speed of the moving mass is

p
p
|v| = (2 cos(2t))2 + (2 sin(2t))2 = 2 cos2 (2t) + sin2 (2t) = 2ms1 .

The shape outline is a circle.

(e)
hint 1: Determine the initial conditions (px , py ) and (vx , vy ).

   
px
0
p(0) =
=
,
py
1

   
v
1
p (0) = v(0) = x =
.
vy
0
0

Thus
1
p(t) =

sin(2t)
2
cos(2t)

v(t) =


cos(2t)
.
2 sin(2t)

The speed of the moving mass is

p
p
p
|v| = (cos(2t))2 + (2 sin(2t))2 = cos2 (2t) + 4 sin2 (2t) = 1 + 3 sin2 (2t) which is
not constant!

Notice that the path is similar to the circle but the x value is halved. The path therefore
looks like a squashed circle or ellipse.