Processing math: 100%
Skip to main content
Library homepage
 

Text Color

Text Size

 

Margin Size

 

Font Type

Enable Dyslexic Font
Physics LibreTexts

7.2: Generalized Momentum

( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)

Consider a holonomic system of N masses under the influence of conservative forces that depend on position qj but not velocity ˙qj, that is, the potential is velocity independent. Then for the x coordinate of particle i for N particles

L˙xi=T˙xiU˙xi=T˙xi=˙xiNi=112mi(˙x2i+˙y2i+˙z2i)=mi˙xi=pi,x

Thus for a holonomic, conservative, velocity-independent potential we have

L˙xi=pi,x

which is the x component of the linear momentum for the ith particle.

This result suggests an obvious extension of the concept of momentum to generalized coordinates. The generalized momentum associated with the coordinate qj is defined to be

L˙qjpj

Note that pj also is called the conjugate momentum or canonical momentum to qj where qj,pj are conjugate, or canonical, variables. Remember that the linear momentum pj is the first-order time integral given by equation (2.4.1). If qj is not a spatial coordinate, then pj is the generalized momentum, not the kinematic linear momentum. For example, if qj is an angle, then pj will be angular momentum. That is, the generalized momentum may differ from the usual linear or angular momentum since the definition ??? is more general than the usual px=m˙x definition of linear momentum in classical mechanics. This is illustrated by the case of a moving charged particles mj,ej in an electromagnetic field. Chapter 6 showed that electromagnetic forces on a charge ej can be described in terms of a scalar potential Uj where

Uj=ej(ΦAvj)

Thus the Lagrangian for the electromagnetic force can be written as

L=Nj=1[12mjvjvjej(ΦAvj)]

The generalized momentum to the coordinate xj for charge ej, and mass mj, is given by the above Lagrangian

pj,x=L˙xj=mj˙xj+ejAx

Note that this includes both the mechanical linear momentum plus the correct electromagnetic momentum. The fact that the electromagnetic field carries momentum should not be a surprise since electromagnetic waves also carry energy as is illustrated by the transmission of radiant energy from the sun.

Example 7.2.1: Feynman’s angular-momentum paradox

Feynman posed the following paradox [Fey84]. A circular insulating disk, mounted on frictionless bearings, has a circular ring of total charge q uniformly distributed around the perimeter of the circular disk at the radius R. A superconducting long solenoid of radius s, where s<R, is fixed to the disk and is mounted coaxial with the bearings. The moment of inertia of the system about the rotation axis is I. Initially the disk plus superconducting solenoid are stationary with a steady current producing a uniform magnetic field B0 inside the solenoid. Assume that a rise in temperature of the solenoid destroys the superconductivity leading to a rapid dissipation of the electric current and resultant magnetic field. Assume that the system is free to rotate, no other forces or torques are acting on the system, and that the charge carriers in the solenoid have zero mass and thus do not contribute to the angular momentum. Does the system rotate when the current in the solenoid stops?

7.2.1.PNG
Figure 7.2.1

Initially the system is stationary with zero mechanical angular momentum. Faraday’s Law states that, when the magnetic field dissipates from B0 to zero, there will be a torque N acting on the circumferential charge q at radius R due to the change in magnetic flux Φ.

N(t)=qRdΦdt

Since dΦdt<0, this torque leads to an angular impulse which will equal the final mechanical angular momentum.

LMECHfinal=T=tN(t)dt=qRΦ

The initial angular momentum in the electromagnetic field can be derived using Equation ???, plus Stoke’s theorem (Appendix 19.8.3) . Equation 2.12.56 gives that the final angular momentum equals the angular impulse

LEMinitial=Rtr˙pϕdldt=Rrpϕdl=qRAϕdl=qRBdS=qRΦ

where Φ=Aϕdl=BdS is the initial total magnetic flux through the solenoid. Thus the total initial angular momentum is given by

LTOTALinitial=0+LEMinitial=qRΦ

Since the final electromagnetic field is zero the final total angular momentum is given by

LTOTALfinal=LMECHfinal+0=qRΦ

Note that the total angular momentum is conserved. That is, initially all the angular momentum is stored in the electromagnetic field, whereas the final angular momentum is all mechanical. This explains the paradox that the mechanical angular momentum is not conserved, only the total angular momentum of the system is conserved, that is, the sum of the mechanical and electromagnetic angular momenta.


This page titled 7.2: Generalized Momentum is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Douglas Cline via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.

Support Center

How can we help?