Question
Study the pendulum diagram. Is there any energy lost as the pendulum swings from side to side?
Assume that this pendulum system swings back and forth over time and that there is NO friction at all from any source. Explain.
Answer Key:
No, all of the energy is converted from one form (potential) to another (kinetic) and back again. The same amount of energy is present; none of it is lost or destroyed, and no new energy is made. As the pendulum slows, there is less kinetic energy.
Did the student answer correctly?
Responses
Yes
Yes
No
No
Motion and Forces
Assume that this pendulum system swings back and forth over time and that there is NO friction at all from any source. Explain.
Answer Key:
No, all of the energy is converted from one form (potential) to another (kinetic) and back again. The same amount of energy is present; none of it is lost or destroyed, and no new energy is made. As the pendulum slows, there is less kinetic energy.
Did the student answer correctly?
Responses
Yes
Yes
No
No
Motion and Forces
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The student answered correctly. The pendulum's energy conversion process involves a continuous transformation between potential energy and kinetic energy. In an idealized scenario where there is no friction or any other forms of energy loss, the total mechanical energy of the pendulum remains constant. As the pendulum swings, it reaches its highest points (at the extremes of its swing) where all its energy is potential, and at the lowest point, where all its energy is kinetic. Therefore, in this hypothetical situation, there is no energy lost as the pendulum swings from side to side.