On virtual displacement and virtual work in Lagrangian dynamics

DOI10.1088/0143-0807/27/2/014MaRDI QIDQ5289840zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Subhankar Ray, J. Shamanna

Publication date 19 April 2006

Published in European Journal of Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0510204

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Lagrange's equations (70H03)

Abstract: The confusion and ambiguity encountered by students, in understanding virtual displacement and virtual work, is discussed in this article. A definition of virtual displacement is presented that allows one to express them explicitly for holonomic (velocity independent), non-holonomic (velocity dependent), scleronomous (time independent) and rheonomous (time dependent) constraints. It is observed that for holonomic, scleronomous constraints, the virtual displacements are the displacements allowed by the constraints. However, this is not so for a general class of constraints. For simple physical systems, it is shown that, the work done by the constraint forces on virtual displacements is zero. This motivates Lagrange's extension of d'Alembert's principle to system of particles in constrained motion. However a similar zero work principle does not hold for the allowed displacements. It is also demonstrated that d'Alembert's principle of zero virtual work is necessary for the solvability of a constrained mechanical problem. We identify this special class of constraints, physically realized and solvable, as {it the ideal constraints}. The concept of virtual displacement and the principle of zero virtual work by constraint forces are central to both Lagrange's method of undetermined multipliers, and Lagrange's equations in generalized coordinates.

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