Explain the energy transformation taking place in a simple pendulum.
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Solution
According to the law of conservation of energy, 'energy can neither be created nor be destroyed but it gets converted from one form to another form.'
The process in which energy changes from one form to another form is known as energy transformation.
When the pendulum is at rest, the position is called the mean position.
When the bob is displaced a little bit on either side and released, say A or B (as shown in the figure), termed as the extreme position, the bob starts oscillating.
At extreme positions like A and B, the bob possesses maximum potential energy and has zero kinetic energy.
When the bob is set into motion and moves from point A to B toward the mean position, this potential energy starts to convert into kinetic energy.
Therefore, the position between A and O, the bob has both the potential and kinetic energies.
When the bob reaches the position O, the potential energy becomes zero and its total energy is kinetic.
Hence it can be said that continuous transformation of energy takes place in the pendulum while it oscillates.
However, at any instant, the total mechanical energy remains conserved.
