Question 11 (1 point)
The diagram shows a simple pendulum.
Neglecting friction, what happens to the total mechanical energy as the pendulum swings from position A to position B?
a
It increases.
b
It is not conserved.
c
It remains the same.
d
It decreases.
c
It remains the same.
To determine what happens to the total mechanical energy as the pendulum swings from position A to position B, we need to understand the concept of mechanical energy and its conservation.
Mechanical energy is the sum of an object's potential and kinetic energy. In the case of a simple pendulum, the potential energy is maximum when the pendulum is at its highest point (position A) and minimum when it is at its lowest point (position B). The kinetic energy is maximum when the pendulum is at its lowest point (position B) and minimum when it is at its highest point (position A).
According to the principle of conservation of mechanical energy, the total mechanical energy of a system remains constant if there is no external work or non-conservative forces acting on it. In the case of a simple pendulum neglecting friction, there are no external forces acting on the system, and hence, the mechanical energy is conserved.
Therefore, the correct answer is:
c) It remains the same.
The correct answer is c) It remains the same.
In a simple pendulum, the total mechanical energy is the sum of the potential energy and kinetic energy. As the pendulum swings from position A to position B, the potential energy decreases while the kinetic energy increases. However, the total mechanical energy (sum of potential and kinetic energy) remains constant because the decrease in potential energy is equal to the increase in kinetic energy. This is because there is no friction or other external forces acting on the pendulum to change its energy.