A rod of mass M and length L is suspended from two fixed points at the same horizontal level and a distance L apart by two equal strings of length b attached to its ends. From each end of the rod a particle of mass m is suspended by a string of length a. The system of the rod and two particles performs small oscillations in a vertical plane. Find V and T for this system.
For the special case in which b = 3a/2 and M = 6m/5, find the normal frequencies. Show that the general small motion is periodic and find the period.