Generalized Coordinates

• Any convenient coordinates for description of particular system

  • use qi as symbol for general coordinate
  • examples
    • diatomic {q1,…,q6} = {xcom, ycom, zcom, r12, q, f}
    • 2-D motion in central field {q1, q2} = {r, q}

• Kinetic energy

  • general quadratic form
  • examples
    • rotating diatomic
    • 2-D central motion

usually vanish

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