Question 28
A pendulum is a good example to demonstrate the Law of Conservation of Energy. In pairs, carry out this activity using a pendulum set-up as shown in Figure 10.10.
1. Pull the pendulum to one side (A) and hold it there. This position is where the pendulum has maximum potential energy and minimum kinetic energy.
2. Release the pendulum without pushing it, allowing it to swing freely.
3. Observe the pendulum as it swings through its lowest point (B), rises to the opposite side (C) and returns to its original position (A) to complete one cycle.
4. Allow the pendulum to continue swinging for a while and observe what happens.
1. Pull the pendulum to one side (A) and hold it there. This position is where the pendulum has maximum potential energy and minimum kinetic energy.
2. Release the pendulum without pushing it, allowing it to swing freely.
3. Observe the pendulum as it swings through its lowest point (B), rises to the opposite side (C) and returns to its original position (A) to complete one cycle.
4. Allow the pendulum to continue swinging for a while and observe what happens.
