Skip to main content

Double pendulum angular momentum, m1 = 3, m2 = 4 kg

Short answer

Using r1, r2, v1, v2 derived from lengths (0.4 m, 0.5 m), angles (30°, 60°) and angular speeds 4 and 5 rad/s, angular momentum is H_O = Σ m(r×v). Result: H_O ≈ 15.72 k̂ kg·m²/s CCW.

A double pendulum as shown in figure below oscillates in X-Y plane. At the instant shown, w1=4w_1 = 4 rad/sec CCW and w2=5w_2 = 5 rad/sec CCW. What will be the angular momentum about 'O' at this instant, if m1=3m_1 = 3 kg and m2=4m_2 = 4 kg? Note that the lower pendulum is connected to mass m1m_1 by a pin joint and is free to rotate about this point. [Figure: upper arm of length 0.4 m from O at 30∘30^\circ to the vertical (Y down, X to the right), carrying m1m_1; lower arm 0.5 m carrying m2m_2 at 60∘60^\circ to the vertical.]

Take the origin at the fixed pivot OO, xx vertically downward, yy to the right and k^\hat k out of the plane (+k^+\hat k = counter-clockwise). Assume both arms lie on the same (right-hand) side of the vertical, and that ω2\omega_2 is the absolute angular velocity of the lower arm (as is usual in this problem). Angular momentum of the system about OO:

H⃗O=m1(r⃗1×v⃗1)+m2(r⃗2×v⃗2)\vec H_O = m_1(\vec r_1 \times \vec v_1) + m_2(\vec r_2 \times \vec v_2)

Position vectors

Upper arm (a=0.4a=0.4 m at 30∘30^\circ to the xx-axis), lower arm (b=0.5b=0.5 m at 60∘60^\circ to the vertical):

r⃗1=a(cos⁡30∘ i^+sin⁡30∘ j^)=(0.346 i^+0.200 j^) mr⃗2/1=b(cos⁡60∘ i^+sin⁡60∘ j^)=(0.250 i^+0.433 j^) mr⃗2=r⃗1+r⃗2/1=(0.596 i^+0.633 j^) m\begin{aligned} \vec r_1 &= a(\cos 30^\circ\,\hat i + \sin 30^\circ\,\hat j) = (0.346\,\hat i + 0.200\,\hat j)\ \text{m}\\ \vec r_{2/1} &= b(\cos 60^\circ\,\hat i + \sin 60^\circ\,\hat j) = (0.250\,\hat i + 0.433\,\hat j)\ \text{m}\\ \vec r_2 &= \vec r_1 + \vec r_{2/1} = (0.596\,\hat i + 0.633\,\hat j)\ \text{m} \end{aligned}

Velocities

v⃗1=ω1k^×r⃗1=(−0.800 i^+1.386 j^) m/sv⃗2=v⃗1+ω2k^×r⃗2/1=(−2.965 i^+2.636 j^) m/s\begin{aligned} \vec v_1 &= \omega_1\hat k \times \vec r_1 = (-0.800\,\hat i + 1.386\,\hat j)\ \text{m/s}\\ \vec v_2 &= \vec v_1 + \omega_2\hat k \times \vec r_{2/1} = (-2.965\,\hat i + 2.636\,\hat j)\ \text{m/s} \end{aligned}

Angular momentum

H1=m1(x1v1y−y1v1x)=3(0.346×1.386−0.200×−0.800)=1.92 kg m2/sH2=m2(x2v2y−y2v2x)=4(0.596×2.636−0.633×−2.965)=13.80 kg m2/s\begin{aligned} H_1 &= m_1(x_1 v_{1y} - y_1 v_{1x}) = 3(0.346\times 1.386 - 0.200\times -0.800) = 1.92\ \text{kg m}^2/\text{s}\\ H_2 &= m_2(x_2 v_{2y} - y_2 v_{2x}) = 4(0.596\times 2.636 - 0.633\times -2.965) = 13.80\ \text{kg m}^2/\text{s} \end{aligned} H⃗O=H1+H2=15.72 k^ kg m2/s\vec H_O = H_1 + H_2 = 15.72\,\hat k\ \text{kg m}^2/\text{s}

Answer: H⃗O≈15.72 k^\vec H_O \approx 15.72\,\hat k kg m²/s (counter-clockwise, about the axis perpendicular to the plane).

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

All Applied Mechanics (Dynamics) chapter 3 questions →