Engineering
Retrus, Maimane and Mosoallbisi (2014) agree that mechanical energy is the total sum of Kinetic and Potential energies. Kinetic energy is the energy possessed by an object because of its movement. Potential energy on the other hand is that energy which is stored by an object as a result of its position. There are two types of potential energy, elastic and gravitational and the one present in a swing and pendulum is gravitational potential energy. Its presence is because neither of them has a spring to produce elastic potential energy and they both work in accordance with the laws of gravity (Retrus, Maimane and Mosoallbisi 2014, 201).
A playground swing has similar biometrics to a pendulum because their forms of movement and energies present are the same thus they are used alternatively. While on a swing being pushed by one of my classmates, there is no point at which the mechanical energy has a highest value because in the movement of both the swing and pendulum, the kinetic energy lost is replaced by the potential energy and vice versa. Thus the total values in the back and forth motions which consist of mechanical energy remain constant (Retrus, Maimane and Mosoallbisi 2014, 201).
A swinging pendulum or swing has the highest value in kinetic energy and the lowest value of gravitational potential energy while in the vertical position which is when the swing moves back to its original position before being pushed. The speed is at its highest and the distance from the earth is at its minimum in this position. The highest value of gravitational potential energy is when the swing or pendulum is at its highest position with the least speed and a great distance from the earth. As the swing moves back and forth, kinetic and potential energies are exchanged (Retrus, Maimane and Mosoallbisi 2014, 201).
Bibliography
Retrus, Rankhumise M., Joseph, Ramathibela M., and Raphoto, Mosoallbisi. 2014. Effective Teaching of Conservation of Mechanical Energy. Rome, Italy: MCSER Publishing.
