List of formulas

Mechanics:
1. Relation between polar & cartesian unit vectors: r̂(θ) = cos θ î + sin θ ĵ, θ̂(θ) = − sin θ î + cos θ ĵ.
dr̂ dθ̂
2. Time derivative of the polar unit vectors: dt = θ̇θ̂, dt = −θ̇r̂.
   
3. Velocity (⃗v ) & acceleration (⃗a) in polar coordinates: ⃗v = ṙr̂ +rθ̇θ̂, ⃗a = r̈ − rθ̇2 r̂ + rθ̈ + 2ṙθ̇ θ̂.

4. Length element in plane polar coordinate: d⃗r = dr r̂ + r dθ θ̂.

⃗ and torque (⃗τ ):
5. Angular momentum (L)
⃗
dL
⃗ = ⃗r × p⃗,
L ⃗τ = = ⃗r × F⃗ , p: Linear momentum; ⃗r: Position vector; F⃗ : Force).
(⃗
dt

6. Angular momentum (L) and torque (τ ) for fixed axis rotation about z axis (for pure rotation):

Lz = Iωz , τz = Iαz ,

I, ωz & αz are M.I., angular speed & angular acceleration about the axis of rotation, respectively.
7. Angular momentum (A.M.) for fixed axis rotation about z axis (for rotation plus translation):
⃗ × MV
Lz = I0 ω (A.M. about CM) + (R ⃗ )z (A.M. of the CM about the given point),

⃗ :
I0 & ω : M.I. & angular speed, respectively, about the axis passing through CM in z direction; R
⃗˙ M : Total mass of the body.
⃗ = R;
Position vector of CM; V
8. For a gyroscope, the torque ⃗τ :
⃗
dL
⃗τ = ⃗ ×L
=Ω ⃗ s, ⃗ Precessional angular velocity; L
(Ω: ⃗ s : Spin A.M.).
dt

9. Moments and products of inertia:

X X X
mi yi2 + zi2 , mi x2i + zi2 , mi x2i + yi2 ,




Ixx = Iyy = Izz =
i i i
X X X
Ixy = Iyx = − m i x i yi , Iyz = Izy = − mi yi zi , Ixz = Izx = − m i x i zi .
i i i

10. For the uniform rotation of the non-inertial (NI) frame relative to the inertial (I) frame, with
both frames sharing a common origin situated on the axis of rotation, the relationship between
velocities and accelerations in the I and NI frames:

⃗vI ⃗ × ⃗r,
= ⃗vNI + ω (⃗
ω : Angular velocity of NI frame with respect to the I frame)
⃗aI ω × ⃗vNI + ω
= ⃗aNI + 2⃗ ⃗ × (⃗
ω × ⃗r) ,

Oscillations and waves [Textbook’s (A.P. French) conventions have been used]
1. Equation of motion of a damped harmonic oscillator:

d2 x dx k b
+γ +ω02 x = 0, with ω02 = , γ = (m : Mass of the oscillator, b : Damping coefficient).
dt2 dt m m
Here, γ, k are the damping & spring constant, respectively. The damping force is −bv.

2. For an underdamped (γ < 2ω0 ) harmonic oscillator:

γ2 k b2
x = Ae−γt/2 cos(ωt + α), where ω 2 = ω02 − = − .
4 m 4m2

1
 3. For an overdamped (γ > 2ω0 ) harmonic oscillator:
r
−( γ2 −β )t −( γ2 +β )t γ2
x = B1 e + B2 e , where β = − ω02 .
4
4. For a critically damped (γ = 2ω0 ) harmonic oscillator:
γt
x = (A + Bt)e− 2 .

5. Quality factor: Q = ω0 /γ.

6. Energy of an underdamped oscillator at time t: E(t) = E0 e−γt .

7. Equation of motion of a forced-damped oscillator:

d2 x dx F0
2
+γ + ω02 x = cos(ωt).
dt dt m
F0 cos(ωt) is the driving force. The rest of the notations are the same as the damped oscillator.

8. Displacement of a forced-damped oscillator in the steady state:

 
f0 −1 γω F0
x = A(ω) cos(ωt − δ), with A(ω) = p 2 , δ = tan 2 , f0 = .
(ω0 − ω 2 )2 + γ 2 ω 2 ω0 − ω 2 m

9. Linear chain of N equal masses connected by N + 1 identical springs fixed at both ends:
N
X
xp,n (t) = Ap,n cos(ωn t + ξn ), xp (t) = Ap,n cos(ωn t + ξn ),
n=1
 
nπ
where ωn2 = 4ω02 sin2 2(N +1) ; n = 1, 2, 3, · · · , N . Here xp,n (t) is the displacement of the pth
mass in the nth normal mode at any time t. xp (t) is the total displacement of the pth mass at any
time t, and ωn is the frequency for the nth normal mode.
   
pnπ Ap−1,n + Ap+1,n nπ
Ap,n = Cn sin , = 2 cos .
N +1 Ap,n N +1
10. Displaceemnt in the continuum limit of the linear chain (N → ∞), which is equivalent to a string
of length L fixed at both ends:
∞
X  nπx 
y(x, t) = An sin cos(ωn t + ξn ).
L
n=1
2
T n2 π 2 ωn T n2
For transverse vibrations: ωn2 = µL2
, νn2 = 4π 2
= 4µL2
. T : tension, µ : linear mass density.

11. The transverse displacement of a string fixed at both ends is expressed in the Fourier series:
∞  nπx   
X 1
y(x, t) = sin Bn cos(ωn t) + Dn sin(ωn t) ,
L ωn
n=1
with the coefficients:
Z L Z L
2  nπx  2 ∂y(x, t)  nπx 
Bn = An cos(ξn ) = y(x, 0) sin dx, Dn = −An ωn sin(ξn ) = sin dx.
L 0 L L 0 ∂t L
t=0
q
∂2y 2
∂ y T
12. Wave equation on a string: ∂t2
= v 2 ∂x2 , where v = µ.

13. Displacement of a sinusoidal traveling wave propagating along the positive x-direction:
 
2π
x(t) = A sin (vt − x) , λ : wavelength, v : velocity.
λ
dν
14. Phase velocity: vp = ν/k; Group velocity: vg = dk , where k = 1/λ : wave number, ν : frequency.

15. For a wave with displacement y(x, t):

µ ∂y(x, t) 2
   2
T ∂y(x, t)
Kinetic energy density: , Potential energy density: .
2 ∂t 2 ∂x