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Double pendulum angular momentum, m1 = 1, m2 = 2 kg

Short answer

With a=0.5 m, b=0.6 m, ω1=2 rad/s, ω2=4 rad/s, calculate positions and velocities. Angular momentum sum gives H_O ≈ 7.50 k̂ kg·m²/s counter-clockwise.

A double pendulum as shown in figure below oscillates in the X-Y plane. As shown in figure below, W1=2W_1 = 2 rad/sec. CCW and W2=4W_2 = 4 rad/sec CCW. What is H⃗O\vec H_O at this instant if m1=1m_1 = 1 kg and m2=2m_2 = 2 kg. 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 0.5 m from O at 30∘30^\circ to the X axis (X down, Y to the right), carrying m1m_1; lower arm 0.6 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=0.5a=0.5 m at 30∘30^\circ to the xx-axis), lower arm (b=0.6b=0.6 m at 60∘60^\circ to the vertical):

r⃗1=a(cos⁡30∘ i^+sin⁡30∘ j^)=(0.433 i^+0.250 j^) mr⃗2/1=b(cos⁡60∘ i^+sin⁡60∘ j^)=(0.300 i^+0.520 j^) mr⃗2=r⃗1+r⃗2/1=(0.733 i^+0.770 j^) m\begin{aligned} \vec r_1 &= a(\cos 30^\circ\,\hat i + \sin 30^\circ\,\hat j) = (0.433\,\hat i + 0.250\,\hat j)\ \text{m}\\ \vec r_{2/1} &= b(\cos 60^\circ\,\hat i + \sin 60^\circ\,\hat j) = (0.300\,\hat i + 0.520\,\hat j)\ \text{m}\\ \vec r_2 &= \vec r_1 + \vec r_{2/1} = (0.733\,\hat i + 0.770\,\hat j)\ \text{m} \end{aligned}

Velocities

v⃗1=ω1k^×r⃗1=(−0.500 i^+0.866 j^) m/sv⃗2=v⃗1+ω2k^×r⃗2/1=(−2.578 i^+2.066 j^) m/s\begin{aligned} \vec v_1 &= \omega_1\hat k \times \vec r_1 = (-0.500\,\hat i + 0.866\,\hat j)\ \text{m/s}\\ \vec v_2 &= \vec v_1 + \omega_2\hat k \times \vec r_{2/1} = (-2.578\,\hat i + 2.066\,\hat j)\ \text{m/s} \end{aligned}

Angular momentum

H1=m1(x1v1y−y1v1x)=1(0.433×0.866−0.250×−0.500)=0.50 kg m2/sH2=m2(x2v2y−y2v2x)=2(0.733×2.066−0.770×−2.578)=7.00 kg m2/s\begin{aligned} H_1 &= m_1(x_1 v_{1y} - y_1 v_{1x}) = 1(0.433\times 0.866 - 0.250\times -0.500) = 0.50\ \text{kg m}^2/\text{s}\\ H_2 &= m_2(x_2 v_{2y} - y_2 v_{2x}) = 2(0.733\times 2.066 - 0.770\times -2.578) = 7.00\ \text{kg m}^2/\text{s} \end{aligned} H⃗O=H1+H2=7.50 k^ kg m2/s\vec H_O = H_1 + H_2 = 7.50\,\hat k\ \text{kg m}^2/\text{s}

Answer: H⃗O≈7.50 k^\vec H_O \approx 7.50\,\hat k kg m²/s (counter-clockwise, about the axis perpendicular to the plane).

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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