Mechanics Formulae

General
equations
Z B
d~r d~v dW
~v = ~a = F~ = m~a W(A→B) = F~ · d~r P =
dt dt A dt

p~ = m~v ~ = ~r × p~
L ~τ = ~r × F~

Oscillations
p
Simple harmonic oscillator x(t) = A cos(ω0 t + ϕ) with ω0 = k/m
 √ 2 2 √ 2 2 
Damped harmonic oscillator x(t) = e−γt Ae γ −ω0 t + Be− γ −ω0 t
2πE
q
Underdamped x(t) = Ae−γt cos (ω̃t + ϕ) with ω̃ = ω02 − γ 2 Q= Q ≈ ω0 τ
 √ 2 2 √ 2 2  ∆E
Overdamped x(t) = e−γt Ae γ −ω0 t + Be− γ −ω0 t

Critically damped x(t) = (A + Bt)e−γt

Non-homogeneous differential equations x(t) = xh (t) + xp (t)

F0
If Fext = F0 , xp (t) =
mω02
F0 /m 2γω
If Fext = F0 cos ωt, xp (t) = A cos(ωt + ϕ) with A = q and tan ϕ =
2 ω2− ω02
(ω 2 − ω02 ) + 4γ 2 ω 2
F02 γω 2 /m
hP iT = 2 ∆ω = 2γ
(ω 2 − ω02 ) + 4γ 2 ω 2

Central forces
1 2 L2
~a = (r̈ − rθ̇2 )r̂ + (2ṙθ̇ + rθ̈)θ̂ F~ = Fr (r)r̂ E= mṙ + Vef with Vef = + V (r)
2 2mr2
r
1 1 +  cos(θ − θ0 ) L2 2L2 E
u= = with p= , = 1+ and k = GM m
r p mk mk 2
p
If E > 0, >1 r= with p = a(2 − 1), and a = 2Ek
 cos θ − 1
p 4π 2 a3 GM m
If E < 0, 0 <  < 1 r = with p = a(1 − 2 ), and a = −k
2E T2 = E=−
 cos θ + 1 GM 2a
a L2
If E = 0,  = 1 r= with a = mk
cos θ + 1
s s ! r s !
GM 2ra GM 2rp
∆vp = −1 ∆va = 1−
rp rp + ra ra rp + ra

Systems of
N N Z Z Z particles
1 X X 1
~rCM = mi~ri with M= mi or ~rCM = ~rdm with M= dm = ρdV
M i=1 i=1
M

m1 m2 m0
Z
µ= ∆v = −gt + u ln I= F dt
m1 + m2 m
Ficti-
forces
-cious

d d 1 1
~×
= 0 +ω ~a0 = ~a − ω ω × ~r) + 2~v 0 × ω − α
~ × (~ ~ × ~r ~r0 ≈ ~r00 + ~v00 t + ~g t2 + ~v00 × ω~ t2 + ~g × ω
~ t3
dt dt 2 3
Rotations

X Z Z
I= mi ri2 or I= r2 dm I = ICM + M d2 Iz = Ix + Iy ~
L = {I}~ ω Iij = (r2 δij − xi xj )dm

τ1 = I1 ω̇1 + (I3 − I2 )ω2 ω3

~
dL 1 T dT
~τ = ~˙ + ω
= {I}ω ~ × ({I}~
ω) τ2 = I2 ω̇2 + (I1 − I3 )ω1 ω3 T = ~ {I}~
ω ω ~ · ~τ
=ω
dt 2 dt
τ3 = I3 ω̇3 + (I2 − I1 )ω1 ω2

ω1 = sinθsinψ φ̇ + cosψ θ̇ ω2 = sinθcosψ φ̇ − sinψ θ̇ ω3 = cosθφ̇ + ψ̇

Lagran-

 
mech.

d ∂L ∂L
-gian

Z
δS = 0 with S= L(q, q̇, t)dt and L(q, q̇, t) = T − V − =0
dt ∂ q̇i ∂qi