If a pendulum is not pushed, why does it not go as big when it swings back. Where does the lost PE go?

Question

If a pendulum is not pushed, why does it not go as big when it swings back. Where does the lost PE go?

ans. Since there is no force applied to the pendulum there is not enough Kinetic energy (energy of motion) to transform into potential energy to make it swing back. The pendulum will not swing back as high due to gravity which will push the pendulum down. The lost PE is stored in the pendulum and makes it stationary until it is pushed.

Is this answer correct?

Answer 1

Yes, the answer is correct. When a pendulum is not pushed, it relies on the initial potential energy (PE) it had at the highest point of its swing to convert into kinetic energy (KE) as it swings downward. As it reaches the lowest point, all of the potential energy is converted into kinetic energy. However, due to factors such as air resistance and friction, the pendulum does not swing back up to the same height it started at. The energy that is lost is dissipated in the form of heat and sound, which is usually negligible. Therefore, the pendulum does not regain the same amount of potential energy it had initially and will swing back to a lower height.