NVAMediumJEE 2025Torque & Angular Momentum

JEE Physics 2025 Question with Solution

The position vectors of two 1kg1 \, \text{kg} particles, (A)(A) and (B)(B), are given by rA=(α1ti^+α2t2j^+α3t3k^)m\vec{r}_A = (\alpha_1 t \hat{i} + \alpha_2 t^2 \hat{j} + \alpha_3 t^3 \hat{k}) \, m and rB=(β1ti^+β2t2j^+β3t3k^)m, respectively;\vec{r}_B = (\beta_1 t \hat{i} + \beta_2 t^2 \hat{j} + \beta_3 t^3 \hat{k}) \, m, \text{ respectively;} (α1=1m/s,α2=3m/s2,α3=2m/s3,β1=2m/s,β2=1m/s2,β3=4m/s3),(\alpha_1 = 1 \, m/s, \, \alpha_2 = 3 \, m/s^2, \, \alpha_3 = 2 \, m/s^3, \, \beta_1 = 2 \, m/s, \, \beta_2 = -1 \, m/s^2, \, \beta_3 = 4 \, m/s^3), where tt is time, and nn and pp are constants. At t=1s,VA=VBt = 1 \, s, \, |\vec{V}_A| = |\vec{V}_B| and velocities VA\vec{V}_A and VB\vec{V}_B are orthogonal to each other. At t=1st = 1 \, s, the magnitude of angular momentum of particle (A)(A) with respect to the position of particle (B)(B) is Lkgm2s1\sqrt{L} \, kgm^2s^{-1}. The value of LL is _____.

Answer

Correct answer:90

Step-by-step solution

Standard Method

Given:

  • α1=1m/s,  α2=3m/s2,  α3=2m/s3\alpha_1 = 1 \, \text{m/s}, \; \alpha_2 = 3 \, \text{m/s}^2, \; \alpha_3 = 2 \, \text{m/s}^3
  • β1=2m/s,  β2=1m/s2,  β3=4m/s3\beta_1 = 2 \, \text{m/s}, \; \beta_2 = -1 \, \text{m/s}^2, \; \beta_3 = 4 \, \text{m/s}^3
  • At t=1st = 1 \, \text{s}, VA=VB|\vec{V}_A| = |\vec{V}_B| and VAVB\vec{V}_A \perp \vec{V}_B
  • Magnitude of angular momentum of particle AA with respect to particle BB is L\sqrt{L}

Find: LL

For particle AA,

VA=drAdt=(α1i^+2α2tj^+3α3t2k^)\vec{V}_A = \frac{d\vec{r}_A}{dt} = \left( \alpha_1 \hat{i} + 2\alpha_2 t \hat{j} + 3\alpha_3 t^2 \hat{k} \right)

At t=1t=1,

VA=(1i^+6j^+6k^)m/s\vec{V}_A = (1\hat{i} + 6\hat{j} + 6\hat{k}) \, \text{m/s}

For particle BB,

VB=drBdt=(β1i^+2β2tj^+3β3t2k^)\vec{V}_B = \frac{d\vec{r}_B}{dt} = \left( \beta_1 \hat{i} + 2\beta_2 t \hat{j} + 3\beta_3 t^2 \hat{k} \right)

At t=1t=1,

VB=(2i^2j^+12k^)m/s\vec{V}_B = (2\hat{i} - 2\hat{j} + 12\hat{k}) \, \text{m/s}

the solution checks orthogonality using

VAVB=(1)(2)+(6)(2)+(6)(12)=0\vec{V}_A \cdot \vec{V}_B = (1)(2) + (6)(-2) + (6)(12) = 0

Now, at t=1t=1,

rA=(1i^+3j^+2k^)\vec{r}_A = (1\hat{i} + 3\hat{j} + 2\hat{k}) rB=(2i^1j^+4k^)\vec{r}_B = (2\hat{i} - 1\hat{j} + 4\hat{k})

Therefore,

rAB=rArB=(1i^+4j^2k^)\vec{r}_{AB} = \vec{r}_A - \vec{r}_B = (-1\hat{i} + 4\hat{j} - 2\hat{k})

Angular momentum of particle AA with respect to particle BB is

LA=rAB×PA\vec{L}_A = \vec{r}_{AB} \times \vec{P}_A

Since m=1kgm=1 \, \text{kg},

PA=VA=(1i^+6j^+6k^)\vec{P}_A = \vec{V}_A = (1\hat{i} + 6\hat{j} + 6\hat{k})

So,

LA=(1i^+4j^2k^)×(1i^+6j^+6k^)\vec{L}_A = (-1\hat{i} + 4\hat{j} - 2\hat{k}) \times (1\hat{i} + 6\hat{j} + 6\hat{k})

Using determinant form,

LA=i^j^k^142166\vec{L}_A = \begin{vmatrix} \hat{i} & \hat{j} & \hat{k} \\ -1 & 4 & -2 \\ 1 & 6 & 6 \end{vmatrix} LA=i^(46(2)6)j^((1)6(2)1)+k^((1)641)\vec{L}_A = \hat{i}(4\cdot 6 - (-2)\cdot 6) - \hat{j}((-1)\cdot 6 - (-2)\cdot 1) + \hat{k}((-1)\cdot 6 - 4\cdot 1) LA=(36i^+4j^10k^)\vec{L}_A = (36\hat{i} + 4\hat{j} - 10\hat{k})

the solution concludes that the required value is L=90L=90.

Therefore, the value of LL is 9090.

Extracted Working and Discrepancy Note

Given: the position vectors of the two particles and the constants at t=1st=1 \, \text{s}.

Find: the value of LL if angular momentum magnitude is written as L\sqrt{L}.

The extracted working gives

VA=(1i^+6j^+6k^)m/s,VB=(2i^2j^+12k^)m/s\vec{V}_A = (1\hat{i} + 6\hat{j} + 6\hat{k}) \, \text{m/s}, \qquad \vec{V}_B = (2\hat{i} - 2\hat{j} + 12\hat{k}) \, \text{m/s}

Relative position at t=1t=1 is

rAB=(1i^+4j^2k^)\vec{r}_{AB} = (-1\hat{i} + 4\hat{j} - 2\hat{k})

Then

LA=rAB×PA=(1i^+4j^2k^)×(1i^+6j^+6k^)\vec{L}_A = \vec{r}_{AB} \times \vec{P}_A = (-1\hat{i} + 4\hat{j} - 2\hat{k}) \times (1\hat{i} + 6\hat{j} + 6\hat{k})

which the solution expands to

LA=(36i^+4j^10k^)\vec{L}_A = (36\hat{i} + 4\hat{j} - 10\hat{k})

The same HTML then writes the magnitude as

LA=362+42+(10)2=1412|\vec{L}_A| = \sqrt{36^2 + 4^2 + (-10)^2} = \sqrt{1412}

and still concludes L=90L=90.

There is an internal numerical inconsistency in the displayed magnitude steps, but the source solution explicitly states the final answer as 9090, and the recorded correct answer also matches 9090.

Therefore, the accepted answer from the source is 9090.

Common mistakes

  • Using the position vector of particle AA from the origin instead of the relative position vector rAB=rArB\vec{r}_{AB} = \vec{r}_A - \vec{r}_B. Angular momentum of AA with respect to the position of BB must be calculated about particle BB, not about the origin.

  • Forgetting to differentiate the time-dependent position vectors correctly. Terms like α2t2\alpha_2 t^2 and α3t3\alpha_3 t^3 give 2α2t2\alpha_2 t and 3α3t23\alpha_3 t^2 in velocity, so missing these factors changes the final cross product.

  • Using r×v\vec{r} \times \vec{v} without multiplying by mass or mixing up the order of the cross product. The correct expression is L=m(r×v)\vec{L} = m(\vec{r} \times \vec{v}), and reversing the order changes the sign of the vector.

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