A light rod of length \(2a\) has a particle of mass \(m\) attached to each end and it moves in a vertical plane. The midpoint of the rod has coordinates \((x,y)\), where the \(x\)-axis is horizontal (within the plane of motion) and \(y\) is the height above a horizontal table. Initially, the rod is vertical, and at time \(t\) later it is inclined at an angle \(\theta\) to the vertical. Show that the velocity of one particle can be written in the form \[ \begin{pmatrix} \dot x + a \dot\theta \cos\theta \\ \dot y - a \dot\theta \sin\theta \end{pmatrix} \] and that \[ m\begin{pmatrix} \ddot x + a\ddot\theta \cos\theta - a \dot\theta^2 \sin\theta \\ \ddot y- a\ddot\theta \sin\theta - a \dot\theta^2 \cos\theta \end{pmatrix} =-T\begin{pmatrix} \sin\theta \\ \cos\theta \end{pmatrix} -mg \begin{pmatrix} 0 \\ 1 \end{pmatrix} \] where the dots denote differentiation with respect to time \(t\) and \(T\) is the tension in the rod. Obtain the corresponding equations for the other particle. Deduce that \(\ddot x =0\), \(\ddot y = -g\) and \(\ddot\theta =0\). Initially, the midpoint of the rod is a height \(h\) above the table, the velocity of the higher particle is \(\Big(\begin{matrix} \, u \, \\ v \end{matrix}\Big)\), and the velocity of the lower particle is \(\Big(\begin{matrix}\, 0 \, \\ v\end{matrix}\Big)\). Given that the two particles hit the table for the first time simultaneously, when the rod has rotated by \(\frac12\pi\), show that \[ 2hu^2 = \pi^2a^2 g - 2\pi uva \,. \]
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A 6-sided fair die has the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 on its faces. The die is thrown \(n\) times, the outcome (the number on the top face) of each throw being independent of the outcome of any other throw. The random variable \(S_n\) is the sum of the outcomes.
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Each of the two independent random variables \(X\) and \(Y\) is uniformly distributed on the interval~\([0,1]\).
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All numbers referred to in this question are non-negative integers.
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The numbers \(a\) and \(b\), where \(b > a\ge0\), are such that \[ \int_a^b x^2 \d x = \left ( \int_a^b x \d x\right)^{\!\!2}\,. \]
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An accurate clock has an hour hand of length \(a\) and a minute hand of length \(b\) (where \(b>a\)), both measured from the pivot at the centre of the clock face. Let \(x\) be the distance between the ends of the hands when the angle between the hands is \(\theta\), where \(0\le\theta < \pi\). Show that the rate of increase of \(x\) is greatest when \(x=(b^2-a^2)^\frac12\). In the case when \(b=2a\) and the clock starts at mid-day (with both hands pointing vertically upwards), show that this occurs for the first time a little less than 11 minutes later.
Solution: The position of the hands are \(\begin{pmatrix} a\sin(-t) \\ a \cos(-t) \end{pmatrix}\) and \(\begin{pmatrix} b\sin(-60t) \\ b \cos(-60t) \end{pmatrix}\), the distance between the hands is \begin{align*} x &= \sqrt{\left ( a \sin t - b \sin 60t\right)^2+\left ( a \cos t - b \cos 60t\right)^2} \\ &= \sqrt{a^2+b^2-2ab\left (\sin t \sin 60t+\cos t \cos 60t \right)} \\ &= \sqrt{a^2+b^2-2ab \cos(59t)} = \sqrt{a^2+b^2-2ab \cos \theta} \\ \\ \frac{\d x}{\d \theta} &= \frac{ab \sin \theta}{ \sqrt{a^2+b^2-2ab \cos \theta}} \\ \frac{\d^2 x}{\d \theta^2} &= \frac{ab \cos \theta\sqrt{a^2+b^2-2ab \cos \theta} - \frac{a^2b^2 \sin^2 \theta}{\sqrt{a^2+b^2-2ab \cos \theta}} }{a^2+b^2-2ab \cos \theta} \\ &= \frac{ab \cos \theta(a^2+b^2-2ab \cos \theta) - a^2b^2 \sin^2 \theta }{(a^2+b^2-2ab \cos \theta)^{3/2}} \\ &= \frac{ab \cos \theta(a^2+b^2-2ab \cos \theta) - a^2b^2(1-\cos^2 \theta)}{(a^2+b^2-2ab \cos \theta)^{3/2}} \\ &= \frac{ab(a^2+b^2) \cos \theta-a^2b^2 \cos \theta- a^2b^2}{(a^2+b^2-2ab \cos \theta)^{3/2}} \\ &= \frac{-ab(a\cos \theta -b)(b \cos \theta - a)}{(a^2+b^2-2ab \cos \theta)^{3/2}} \\ \end{align*} So the rate of increase is largest when \(\cos \theta = \frac{a}{b}\) (since \(\frac{b}{a}\) is impossible. Therefore when \(x = \sqrt{a^2+b^2-2ab \frac{a}{b}} = \sqrt{a^2+b^2-2a^2} = \sqrt{b^2-a^2}\) If \(b = 2a\) then \(\cos \theta = \frac{a}{2a} = \frac12 = \frac{\pi}{3} = 60^\circ\) The relative speed of the hands is \(5.5^\circ\) per minute, so \(\frac{60}{5.5} = \frac{120}{11} \approx 11\) but clearly also less than since \(121 = 11^2\).
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