IPhO 2014 · Theory problem 1

Three independent parts: puck in a rolling cylinder, soap bubble with gas, LC circuit with a switch

This problem consists of three independent parts.

Part A (3 points)

A small puck of mass \(m\) is carefully placed onto the inner surface of the thin hollow thin cylinder of mass \(M\) and of radius \(R\). Initially, the cylinder rests on the horizontal plane and the puck is located at the height \(R\) above the plane as shown in the figure on the left. Find the interaction force \(F\) between the puck and the cylinder at the moment when the puck passes the lowest point of its trajectory. Assume that the friction between the puck and the inner surface of the cylinder is absent, and the cylinder moves on the plane without slipping. The free fall acceleration is \(g\).

Figure 1

Part B (3 points)

A bubble of radius \(r=5.00\ \mathrm{cm}\), containing a diatomic ideal gas, has the soap film of thickness \(h=10.0\ \mu\mathrm{m}\) and is placed in vacuum. The soap film has the surface tension \(\sigma=4.00\cdot10^{-2}\ \frac{\mathrm{N}}{\mathrm{m}}\) and the density \(\rho=1.10\ \frac{\mathrm{g}}{\mathrm{cm}^{3}}\). 1) Find formula for the molar heat capacity of the gas in the bubble for such a process when the gas is heated so slowly that the bubble remains in a mechanical equilibrium and evaluate it; 2) Find formula for the frequency \(\omega\) of the small radial oscillations of the bubble and evaluate it under the assumption that the heat capacity of the soap film is much greater than the heat capacity of the gas in the bubble. Assume that the thermal equilibrium inside the bubble is reached much faster than the period of oscillations.

Hint: Laplace showed that there is pressure difference between inside and outside of a curved surface, caused by surface tension of the interface between liquid and gas, so that \(\Delta p=\frac{2\sigma}{r}\).

Part C (3 points)

Initially, a switch \(S\) is unshorted in the circuit shown in the figure on the right, a capacitor of capacitance \(2C\) carries the electric charge \(q_0\), a capacitor of capacitance \(C\) is uncharged, and there are no electric currents in both coils of inductance \(L\) and \(2L\), respectively. The capacitor starts to discharge and at the moment when the current in the coils reaches its maximum value, the switch \(S\) is instantly shorted. Find the maximum current \(I_{\max}\) through the switch \(S\) thereafter.

Figure 2

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • Part A: \[ \boxed{F=mg\left(3+\frac{m}{M}\right)}. \]

  • Part B, 1): With \(\mathcal R\) denoting the universal gas constant, \[ \boxed{C_{\mathrm{mol}}=4\mathcal R=33.3\ \mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}\,K^{-1}}}. \]

  • Part B, 2): \[ \boxed{\omega=\sqrt{\frac{8\sigma}{\rho h r^{2}}} =1.08\times10^{2}\ \mathrm{rad\,s^{-1}}}. \] The corresponding ordinary frequency is \(f=\omega/(2\pi)=17.2\ \mathrm{Hz}\).

  • Part C: \[ \boxed{I_{\max}=\frac{q_0}{\sqrt{2LC}}}. \]

Solution

Part A

Let \(V\) be the horizontal velocity of the cylinder’s centre and \(v_x\) the horizontal velocity of the puck, both positive to the right. The cylinder’s moment of inertia is \[ I_{\mathrm{cyl}}=MR^{2}. \]

First we obtain a relation between these velocities. Let \(f\) be the signed horizontal friction force exerted by the plane on the cylinder. The puck’s normal force passes through the cylinder’s centre, so only \(f\) produces a torque about that centre.

Taking counterclockwise angular velocity as positive, rolling without slipping gives \[ \Omega_{\mathrm{cyl}}=-\frac{V}{R}. \] Consequently, \[ I_{\mathrm{cyl}}\dot\Omega_{\mathrm{cyl}}=Rf \quad\Longrightarrow\quad f=-M\dot V. \]

For the combined puck–cylinder system, the horizontal equation of motion is \[ m\dot v_x+M\dot V=f. \] Combining these equations and using the initial state of rest, \[ \boxed{mv_x+2MV=0}. \]

At the lowest point, the puck’s velocity is horizontal; denote it by \(v\). Its speed relative to the cylinder’s centre is \[ u=v-V. \] Thus \[ V=-\frac{m}{2M}v, \qquad u=\frac{2M+m}{2M}v. \]

Mechanical energy is conserved: the puck–cylinder contact is frictionless, and static friction at the stationary point of contact with the plane does no work. The puck descends through height \(R\), giving \[ mgR =\frac12mv^{2}+\frac12MV^{2} +\frac12MR^{2}\left(\frac{V}{R}\right)^{2} =\frac12mv^{2}+MV^{2}. \] Substituting the velocity relation, \[ v^{2}=\frac{4M}{2M+m}gR, \qquad u^{2}=\frac{2M+m}{M}gR. \]

To find the vertical acceleration, let \(\theta\) be the puck’s angular displacement from the downward vertical. Its height is \[ y=R-R\cos\theta. \] At the bottom, \(\theta=0\) and \(u=R\dot\theta\), so \[ \ddot y=R\dot\theta^{2}=\frac{u^{2}}{R}. \] The cylinder’s force on the puck is upward there. Newton’s second law therefore gives \[ F-mg=m\frac{u^{2}}{R}. \] Hence \[ \boxed{F=mg\left(3+\frac{m}{M}\right)}. \]

Part B, 1)

Treat the soap film as thin compared with the bubble radius and take its surface tension as constant. A soap film has two liquid–gas interfaces. Their Laplace pressure jumps add, so equilibrium in vacuum requires \[ p=\frac{4\sigma}{r}. \]

Let \(n\) be the number of moles and \(\mathcal R\) the universal gas constant. Using the ideal-gas law, \[ pV=n\mathcal RT, \qquad V=\frac{4\pi r^{3}}{3}, \] we obtain \[ n\mathcal RT=\frac{16\pi\sigma}{3}r^{2}. \] Thus, during the specified slow equilibrium process, \[ T\propto r^{2}, \qquad \frac{dV}{V}=3\frac{dr}{r} =\frac32\frac{dT}{T}. \] The gas therefore performs work \[ p\,dV =\frac32\frac{pV}{T}\,dT =\frac32n\mathcal R\,dT. \]

For a diatomic ideal gas with rotational degrees of freedom active and vibrational degrees of freedom unexcited, \[ dU=\frac52n\mathcal R\,dT. \] The first law applied to the gas gives \[ \delta Q=dU+p\,dV =\left(\frac52+\frac32\right)n\mathcal R\,dT. \] Therefore its molar heat capacity for this process is \[ \boxed{C_{\mathrm{mol}}=\frac{\delta Q}{n\,dT}=4\mathcal R}. \] Using \(\mathcal R=8.31446\ \mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}\,K^{-1}}\), \[ \boxed{C_{\mathrm{mol}}=33.3\ \mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}\,K^{-1}}}. \]

Part B, 2)

The film has much greater heat capacity than the gas, and thermal equilibrium is established rapidly. The film therefore acts as a thermal reservoir during an oscillation, making the gas compression and expansion approximately isothermal.

Let the equilibrium radius be \(r\), and write the instantaneous radius as \[ s=r+\xi,\qquad |\xi|\ll r. \] With equilibrium pressure \(p_0=4\sigma/r\), the isothermal gas law gives \[ p(s)=p_0\left(\frac{r}{s}\right)^{3}. \] The net outward pressure on the film is \[ p(s)-\frac{4\sigma}{s}. \] Expanding to first order in \(\xi\), \[ p(s)\simeq p_0\left(1-\frac{3\xi}{r}\right), \qquad \frac{4\sigma}{s}\simeq\frac{4\sigma}{r} \left(1-\frac{\xi}{r}\right), \] so \[ p(s)-\frac{4\sigma}{s} \simeq-\frac{8\sigma}{r^{2}}\xi. \]

The film’s constant mass, expressed using its equilibrium dimensions, is \[ m_f=4\pi r^{2}\rho h. \] Neglecting gas inertia and dissipative effects, the equation for radial motion is, to first order, \[ m_f\ddot\xi =4\pi r^{2}\left(-\frac{8\sigma}{r^{2}}\xi\right) =-32\pi\sigma\xi. \] Thus \[ \ddot\xi+\omega^{2}\xi=0, \qquad \boxed{\omega^{2}=\frac{32\pi\sigma}{m_f} =\frac{8\sigma}{\rho h r^{2}}}. \]

Converting the given quantities to SI units, \[ r=5.00\times10^{-2}\ \mathrm m,\qquad h=1.00\times10^{-5}\ \mathrm m,\qquad \rho=1.10\times10^{3}\ \mathrm{kg\,m^{-3}}, \] we find \[ \omega =\sqrt{\frac{8(4.00\times10^{-2})} {(1.10\times10^{3})(1.00\times10^{-5})(5.00\times10^{-2})^{2}}}. \] Therefore \[ \boxed{\omega=1.08\times10^{2}\ \mathrm{rad\,s^{-1}}}, \qquad \boxed{f=17.2\ \mathrm{Hz}}. \]

Part C

Before the switch closes, both inductors carry the same current \(i\). Let \(q\) be the charge that has passed downward through the inductors since the discharge began, so \(i=\dot q\).

The charge on the upper plate of the \(2C\) capacitor is then \(q_0-q\), while the charge on the upper plate of the \(C\) capacitor is \(-q\). Defining both capacitor voltages from top to bottom, \[ U_1=\frac{q_0-q}{2C}, \qquad U_2=-\frac{q}{C}. \] Kirchhoff’s voltage law gives \[ 3L\dot i=U_1+U_2 =\frac{q_0-3q}{2C}. \]

At the maximum current, \(\dot i=0\). Hence, at the switching instant, \[ q=\frac{q_0}{3}, \qquad \boxed{U_1=\frac{q_0}{3C},\quad U_2=-\frac{q_0}{3C}}. \]

Now set \(t=0\) when the switch closes. The upper capacitor and upper inductor form one LC loop, while the lower pair form another. Their angular frequencies are equal: \[ \Omega_1=\frac{1}{\sqrt{L(2C)}}, \qquad \Omega_2=\frac{1}{\sqrt{(2L)C}}, \] so \[ \Omega_1=\Omega_2=\Omega=\frac{1}{\sqrt{2LC}}. \]

Let \(i_1\) and \(i_2\) be the upper and lower inductor currents, both positive downward. Their equations are \[ L\dot i_1=U_1,\qquad 2C\dot U_1=-i_1, \] \[ 2L\dot i_2=U_2,\qquad C\dot U_2=-i_2. \] Consequently, \[ \ddot i_1+\Omega^{2}i_1=0, \qquad \ddot i_2+\Omega^{2}i_2=0. \]

Take the switch current as positive from the inductor junction toward the capacitor junction. Kirchhoff’s current law gives \[ i_S=i_1-i_2, \] and therefore \[ \ddot i_S+\Omega^{2}i_S=0. \]

Inductor currents are continuous at switching and were equal beforehand, so \[ i_S(0)=0. \] Capacitor voltages are also continuous, giving \[ \dot i_S(0) =\frac{U_1(0)}{L}-\frac{U_2(0)}{2L} =\frac{q_0}{3LC}+\frac{q_0}{6LC} =\frac{q_0}{2LC}. \] The resulting switch current is \[ i_S(t)=\frac{\dot i_S(0)}{\Omega}\sin(\Omega t) =\frac{q_0}{\sqrt{2LC}} \sin\left(\frac{t}{\sqrt{2LC}}\right). \] Its maximum magnitude is thus \[ \boxed{I_{\max}=\frac{q_0}{\sqrt{2LC}}}. \]

The solution was checked against the official solution.