Now use the phet to answer the following questions below.

IV. Pendulum Questions:

6. Pause the simulation and raise the Blue Item up to 90°. What energy type is at its highest and why?
Type Answer HERE:
7. Play the simulation. Describe where the Blue Item is when it has reached its highest kinetic energy and what happens to the energy of the item as it gains height again.
Type Answer HERE:
8. Continue to play the simulation. This simulation will go on and on for eternity if we let it. This simulation is in what we call a Closed System. We are only looking at the variables we want to in this simulation. In the Real World (Open System), if we had a Pendulum like this, it would eventually stop. Explain why it would stop in the Real World.
Type Answer HERE:

→ Select Slow at the bottom for speed.
Your Screen should look like this:

1 answer

I don’t have access to specific simulations like PhET, but I can help you infer the answers based on the principles of physics. Here are potential answers to your questions regarding pendulums:

6. Pause the simulation and raise the Blue Item up to 90°. What energy type is at its highest and why?

Type Answer HERE: At 90°, the potential energy of the Blue Item is at its highest. This is because potential energy is greatest when the object is at its maximum height, due to the increased gravitational force acting on it based on its height above the lowest point in the pendulum's arc.


7. Play the simulation. Describe where the Blue Item is when it has reached its highest kinetic energy and what happens to the energy of the item as it gains height again.

Type Answer HERE: The Blue Item reaches its highest kinetic energy at the lowest point of the swing, where it has maximum speed. As it ascends and gains height, the kinetic energy decreases while the potential energy increases, due to the conservation of energy principle. The total mechanical energy remains constant, assuming negligible friction and air resistance.


8. Continue to play the simulation. This simulation will go on and on for eternity if we let it. This simulation is in what we call a Closed System. We are only looking at the variables we want to in this simulation. In the Real World (Open System), if we had a Pendulum like this, it would eventually stop. Explain why it would stop in the Real World.

Type Answer HERE: In the real world, a pendulum would eventually stop due to the presence of external forces like air resistance and friction at the pivot point. These forces dissipate energy from the pendulum, converting mechanical energy into thermal energy, causing the pendulum to lose amplitude over time until it comes to a stop.


Feel free to adjust any part of the text to suit your learning style or specific requirements!