A pendulum is held at the top of its swing. The person holding the pendulum lets go, and the pendulum is allowed to swing freely. Answer the following questions about the pendulum.
a. When the pendulum is held at the top of its swing, what type of energy does it have?
A. electrical energy
B. potential energy
C. kinetic energy
D.motion energy
B. potential energy
b. As the pendulum swings freely, what is happening to its energy?
A. KE converts to PE, and then total energy becomes zero
B. PE converts to KE, and then total energy becomes zero
C. PE converts to KE as it falls, and then KE converts to PE as it rises
D. KE converts to PE as it falls, and then PE converts to KE as it rises
C. PE converts to KE as it falls, and then KE converts to PE as it rises
When are kinetic energy and potential energy equal in magnitude (equal in amount)?
They are equal at the bottom position.
They are equal half-way between the top position and the bottom position.
They are equal at the top position.
They are equal at every position.
They are equal at the top position.
When the pendulum is held at the top of its swing, it has potential energy, as it has the potential to move due to the force of gravity acting on it. The correct answer is B. potential energy.
To determine the type of energy that a pendulum has when it is held at the top of its swing, we can look at the different types of energy and see which one applies.
Option A states "electrical energy," which refers to the presence and flow of electric charges. This does not apply to a pendulum as it does not involve any electrical components.
Option B states "potential energy," which refers to the energy an object possesses due to its position or condition. This is the correct answer for the question, as when a pendulum is held at the top of its swing, it is at its highest point and has the most potential energy.
Option C states "kinetic energy," which refers to the energy possessed by a moving object. Although the pendulum will eventually have kinetic energy as it swings back and forth, at the top of its swing, it is momentarily at rest and not in motion, so it does not have kinetic energy.
Option D states "motion energy," but this is not a recognized term in physics. Motion can be associated with kinetic energy, which we already discussed.
Therefore, the correct answer is B. potential energy.