Conservation of energy: a pendulum trades height for speed
An animated pendulum swings back and forth while live bar graphs track kinetic and potential energy at every instant. The bars shift continuously, showing potential energy peak at the highest points where the bob momentarily stops, and kinetic energy peak at the lowest point where speed is maximum, with v = sqrt(2gh). The total energy bar stays flat, illustrating conservation of mechanical energy. Useful for physics students learning energy transformation and the work-energy relationship.
16:9 · every frame verified for overlaps, spacing and edges before rendering
The prompt that made it
A swinging pendulum with live kinetic and potential energy bars whose total stays constant; E = mv^2/2 + mgh, all potential at the top, all kinetic at the bottom with v = sqrt(2gh).
Make the next one in this series
- Show how adding friction gradually shrinks the total energy bar over each swing.
- Compare energy bar graphs for a pendulum versus a mass on a spring.
- Animate the pendulum's velocity and acceleration vectors changing throughout the swing.
