Related papers: Study of the projectile motion in the air using si…
In this paper, we consider the dynamics of a heavy homogeneous ball moving under the influence of dry friction on a fixed horizontal plane. We assume the ball to slide without rolling. We demonstrate that the plane may be divided into two…
We develop a new method to determine the acceleration of a block sliding down along the face of a moving wedge. We have been able to link the solution of this problem to that of the inclined plane problem of elementary physics, thus…
In this work we formulate the group theoretical description of free fall and projectile motion. We show that the kinematic equations for constant acceleration form a one parameter group acting on a phase space. We define the group elements…
The influence that the kinematics of pitching and heaving 2D airfoils have on the aerodynamic forces is investigated using Direct Numerical Simulations and a force decomposition algorithm. Large amplitude motions are considered (of the…
This paper provides a simplified explanation of the vacuum bazooka through diagrams and builds a theoretical model only using concepts found in introductory mechanics. Our theory suggests that the velocity of the projectile is proportional…
We study the dynamics of an Airy wavepacket moving in a one-dimensional lattice potential. In contrast to the usual case of propagation in a continuum, for which such a wavepacket experiences a uniform acceleration, the lattice bounds its…
The Fourier-based analysis customarily employed to analyze the dynamics of a simple pendulum is here revisited to propose an elementary iterative scheme aimed at generating a sequence of analytical approximants of the exact law of motion.…
There has been a recent revolution in the ability to manipulate micrometer-sized objects on surfaces patterned by traps or obstacles of controllable configurations and shapes. One application of this technology is to separate particles…
The scattering of spinning test particles by a Schwarzschild black hole is studied. The motion is described according to the Mathisson-Papapetrou-Dixon model for extended bodies in a given gravitational background field. The equatorial…
The motion of a charged particle in a straight magnetic field ${\bf B} = B(y)\,\wh{\sf z}$ with a constant perpendicular gradient is solved exactly in terms of elliptic functions and integrals. The motion can be decomposed in terms of a…
A projective rectangle is like a projective plane that has different lengths in two directions. We develop the basic theory of projective rectangles including incidence properties, projective subplanes, configuration counts, a partial…
This paper is intended to clarify some of the rather well-known aerodynamic phenomena. It is also intended to pique the interest of the layman as well as the professional. All aerodynamic forces on a surface are caused by collisions of…
A bouncing rubber ball under a motion sensor is a classic of introductory physics labs. It is often used to measure the acceleration due to gravity, and can also demonstrate conservation of energy. By observing that the ball rises to a…
Motion of test particles in the gravitational field associated with an electromagnetic plane wave is investigated. The interaction with the radiation field is modeled by a force term {\it \`a la} Poynting-Robertson entering the equations of…
Gravitational billiards provide an experimentally accessible arena for testing formulations of nonlinear dynamics. We present a mathematical model that captures the essential dynamics required for describing the motion of a realistic…
Cracks in beams and shallow arches are modeled by massless rotational springs. First, we introduce a specially designed linear operator that "absorbs" the boundary conditions at the cracks. Then the equations of motion are derived from the…
A ball rolled over a shallow step will experience an increase in velocity along the direction perpendicular to the step. This causes a deflection in the ball's trajectory. In this paper we derive the equations that describe the motion of a…
We study the motion of a particle in the hyperbolic plane (embedded in Minkowski space), under the action of a potential that depends only on one variable. This problem is the analogous to the spherical pendulum in a unidirectional force…
New measurements are presented of the lift on a spinning baseball. The experiment utilizes a pitching machine to project the baseball horizontally; a high-speed motion capture system to measure the initial velocity and angular velocity and…
Many have dedicated their time trying to determine the ideal conditions for a cylinder to have equal probabilities of falling with one of its faces facing upwards or on its side. However, to this day, there is no concrete analysis of what…