Hi all,
Doing some self-study on Lagrangian uses on the internet and I'm getting it pretty well thus far, but I'm just not sure how external forces fit in exactly. Up until now I've only tackled problems with gravity and constraints involved but intuitively I know that kinetic and potential energies can't describe the systems as a whole since external forces don't factor in that way. Is there something that shows a derivation/example (where I imagine work fits in) that someone might link me to? Thank you!
Doing some self-study on Lagrangian uses on the internet and I'm getting it pretty well thus far, but I'm just not sure how external forces fit in exactly. Up until now I've only tackled problems with gravity and constraints involved but intuitively I know that kinetic and potential energies can't describe the systems as a whole since external forces don't factor in that way. Is there something that shows a derivation/example (where I imagine work fits in) that someone might link me to? Thank you!