ENM510 - Advanced Engineering Mathematics I (Homework #1)

Fall Semester, 2014 M. Carchidi

Problem #1 (20 points)

We had shown in class that the non-linear wave equation has the form
v
!u !2
T (x)y(x, t)/x 2
y(x, t) u
t y(x, t)
q = (x) g + 1+
x 1 + (y(x, t)/x)2 t2 x

for 0 < x < L and 0 < t.

a.) (10 points) Show that if T (x) = T (a constant), this can be reduced to
read
! !2 2
2 y(x, t) (x) 2 y(x, t) y(x, t)
= g+ 1+
x2 T t2 x
for 0 < x < L and 0 < t.

b.) (10 points) If also (x) = (a constant), show that

ue (x) 2gx
2
+ tan1 (ue (x)) = + a constant
1 + ue (x) T

for 0 < x < L, where ue (x) = ye0 (x) and ye (x) is the static equilibrium shape
of the string.

Problem #2 (20 points)

Looking now at the linear wave equation

!
y(x, t) 2 y(x, t)
T (x) (x)g = (x) ,
x x t2

for 0 < x < L and 0 < t, with the boundary conditions

y(0, t) = h1 and y(L, t) = h2 ,

determine the static equilibrium shape of the string if

0 x(L x)
(x) = and T (x) = T0
L2
where 0 and T0 are constants.

Problem #3 (20 points)

We have seen in class that the time-independent equilibrium solution to the

wave equation
!
y(x, t) 2 y(x, t)
T0 0 g = 0 , 0 < t, 0 < x < L
x x t2

with boundary conditions y(0, t) = H1 and y(L, t) = H2 was

H2 H1 0 gx(x L)
yeq (x) = H1 + x+
L 2T0
for 0 x L. Determine how H1 , H2 , L, g, T0 and 0 must be related if
the shape is as shown below.

A hanging string from x = 0 to x = L

Problem #4 (40 points)

It can be shown that the transverse displacements y(x, t) of a uniform beam

of length L (under its own weight) satisfy the partial dierential equation

4 y(x, t) 2 y(x, t)
EI + g + =0
x4 t2
for 0 < x < L and 0 < t. In this expression, E is the Youngs modulus of
elasticity which depends on the material of the beam, I is the area moment
of inertia of the beams cross section about a neutral axis, is the mass
per unit length of the beam. Determine the static equilibrium shape of this
beam for each of the four sets of boundary conditions shown below.

a.) (10 points) The beam is fixed at x = 0 and free at x = L so that

y(x, t) 2 y(x, t) 3 y(x, t)
y(0, t) = 0, = 0, = 0, = 0,
x x=0 x2 x=L x3 x=L

b.) (10 points) The beam is fixed at x = 0 and at x = L so that

y(x, t) y(x, t)
y(0, t) = 0, = 0, y(L, t) = 0, = 0,
x x=0 x x=L

c.) (10 points) The beam is free at x = 0 and at x = L so that

2 y(x, t) 3 y(x, t) 2 y(x, t) 3 y(L, t)
= 0, = 0, = 0, = 0,
x2 x=0 x3 x=0 x2 x=L x3 x=L

d.) (10 points) The beam is simply supported at x = 0 and at x = L so that

2 y(x, t) 2 y(x, t)
y(0, t) = 0 , =0 , y(L, t) = 0 , = 0.
x2 x=0 x2 x=L