Week 2- Pendulums

Energy in a Pendulum

- In a simple pendulum with no friction, mechanical energy is conserved. 

- Total mechanical energy is a combination of kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy. 

- As the pendulum swings back and forth, it is a constant exchange from kinetic energy and potential energy. It has the most kinetic energy when it is hanging straight up and down. When it starts to swing, it has the most potential energy when it is at its highest points. 

Lab

For this lab, we experimented with pendulums to see what would affect the pendulum's swing. We tested the length of the string, weight at the end of the pendulum, angle of release, and pendulum design. Surprisingly, the only thing that affected the pendulum's swing was the length of the string. 

Phet Simulator

This is a tool we used to show our findings with technology.