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Part CCSIR NET December 2024the-cross-term-changes-the-effective-inertia

The cross term changes the effective inertia

Consider the system of two particles with total kinetic energy T = (5/2)ẋ̇̇, and Lagrangian L = (5/2)ẋ̇̇gl , where are generalized coordinates, and g, l are positive constants. Then the non-zero frequency of the normal mode of the system with small oscillations (|| ≪ 1) is

  1. A.
  2. B.
  3. C.
  4. D.

You have the answer. Trap Analysis is why the other three were written.

Not a worked solution repeated four times — the specific reasoning error each wrong option was built to reward.

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Related counterexample: The generalised momentum ∂L/∂q̇ always equals mass × velocity

More on this topic

The chapter behind this: Lagrangian mechanics — free to read

From Classical MechanicsLagrangian formalism and generalised coordinates

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