Final answer:
Without sufficient data provided in the question, such as mass or velocity of the pendulum at its lowest point, we cannot accurately calculate the total energy. The conservation of energy tells us that the total energy at the lowest point of the pendulum would be the kinetic energy as the potential energy is zero at this point. If the pendulum is stationary at the lowest point, total energy would be 0 J.
Step-by-step explanation:
When calculating the total energy of a pendulum with the zero point of potential energy at the lowest point, we would expect the potential energy to be zero at that point. However, the question does not provide enough data to calculate the total energy since information on mass, height, and speed at the pendulum's lowest point is lacking.
Using the conservation of energy principle, one approach could be to equate the maximum potential energy (at the highest point in the swing) to the kinetic energy (at the lowest point). The formula for this is total energy = potential energy + kinetic energy, which at the lowest point of a pendulum swing turns into total energy = kinetic energy because potential energy is zero.
At the lowest point, if the pendulum is at rest, or we're considering the instant when it changes direction, the kinetic energy would also be zero, resulting in a total energy of 0 J. However, without specific values for velocity or mass, we cannot give a definitive answer from the options provided.