At what point does the child have the greatest potential energy?

Question

The image shows a child on a swing set. The child is swinging back and forth, and the rope that is attached to the swing is connecting to a metal bar at the top of the swing set. The child is at the peak of their swing, with their legs extended forward. The image depicts the child's trajectory as they swing, with four numbered dots showing their position at different points in time.Dot 1 shows the child at the beginning of their swing, at the furthest point away from the center of the swing set.Dot 2 shows the child moving towards the center of the swing set.Dot 3 shows the child passing through the center of the swing set.Dot 4 shows the child at the peak of their swing, at the furthest point away from the center of the swing set.

1
1

2
2

3
3

4

Answer 1

The child has the greatest potential energy at the peak of their swing. According to the description, this occurs at Dot 4, where the child is at the furthest point away from the center of the swing set. At this point, the child reaches the highest height in the swing's trajectory, which corresponds to maximum potential energy due to their elevated position. As the child swings down towards the center, the potential energy decreases and is converted into kinetic energy until they reach the point of lowest potential energy at the bottom of the swing.