When does a pendulum bob move fastest and why?
A pendulum bob will move fastest when the mass is at its lowest point (when x=0). The reason for this is that in the pendulum system energy is transferred between kinetic and gravitational potential energy, and total energy will always be fixed in the system. Gravitational potential energy will be at its minimum when the bob is at the lowest point, meaning that kinetic energy will be at its maximum, resuting in the bob moving fastest at this point.
JB
Related Physics A Level answers
All answers ▸A child is standing on a walkway that is moving at 2 metres per second and decides to turn around and walk back to the start at 2 metres per second. Explain why the child cannot reach the start of the walkway at this speed.
How might you use sound waves to smash a glass? What are other examples of resonance in everyday life?
Two balls of mass 3kg and 7 kg respectively move towards one another with speeds 5ms^-1 and 2ms^-1 respectively on a smooth table. If they collide and join, what velocity do they move off with?
A bullet is fired horizontally from a gun at a height of 1.5m at 280m/s. Calculate the time taken for it to hit the ground. A second bullet is fired from an adjacent gun at 370m/s. Calculate the distance it travel before the first bullet hits the ground.