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At the bottom of its swing, does the pendulum have kinetic or potential energy?

User Kyle G
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2 Answers

6 votes

Answer:

At the bottom of its swing, a pendulum has the maximum kinetic energy and the minimum potential energy. This is because as the pendulum swings back and forth, it is constantly exchanging potential energy and kinetic energy. At the bottom of the swing, the pendulum has no potential energy because it is at its lowest point, but it has the maximum kinetic energy because it is moving the fastest. As the pendulum swings up to the top of its arc, its kinetic energy decreases and its potential energy increases until it reaches the top of the arc, where it has no kinetic energy and the maximum potential energy. The process then repeats as the pendulum swings back down to the bottom of its arc.

User Paul Lefebvre
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The swing will have kinetic energy as it’s lost all potential energy when dropped.
User Katstevens
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