What makes a pendulum slow down?

A pendulum is an object hung from a fixed point that swings back and forth under the action of gravity. The swing continues moving back and forth without any extra outside help until friction (between the air and the swing and between the chains and the attachment points) slows it down and eventually stops it.

What is the acceleration at the bottom of a pendulum?

the concept of centripetal force and centripetal acceleration for a body undergoing uniform circular motion. The actual demonstration will subsequently prove to students, quantitatively, that the acceleration of the pendulum at the bottom of its swing is 2g, regardless of the mass and length of the pendulum used.

How is the speed at the lowest point of a pendulum related to the starting height of the pendulum bob?

As it starts to move downwards, the speed increases and reaches the maximum when it is at its lowest point. This gives the pendulum the maximum kinetic energy at the lowest point. When the pendulum starts to climb up again, the kinetic energy is converted to potential energy.

What is the velocity of a pendulum at the lowest point?

As the pendulum swings, it exchanges kinetic and potential energy. The highest velocity, and highest kinetic energy, coincides with the pendulum’s closest approach to the center of the earth. The lowest velocity, always zero, coincides with the pendulum’s farthest distance from the center of the earth.

Is the swinging pendulum bob accelerating?

The mass experiences two forces: the weight of the bob (directed vertically downward) and the tension (which acts along the string). If two forces are not collinear, they cannot possibly cancel out. For a swinging pendulum there is a net force and hence the pendulum bob accelerates.

How does the length of a pendulum affect its speed?

The swing rate, or frequency, of the pendulum is determined by its length. The longer the pendulum, whether it is a string, metal rod or wire, the slower the pendulum swings. Conversely the shorter the pendulum the faster the swing rate.

At what point is velocity The lowest?

The lowest velocity occurs right as acceleration changes direction. That is, we need to find the time τ when v′(τ)=0 so that the minimum speed is given by v(τ).

Where is the fastest point on a pendulum?

lowest point
The pendulum swings fastest at its lowest point and slowest at the top of each swing.