Mechanical Energy VideoLab

In this experiment you investigate the potential and kinetic energy of a large pendulum. The object is to plot the motion and check for the conservation for energy.

Run the movie to observe the motion. Click on the link below to go to the lab.

You will need the y versus t and x versus t data. Paste the data into a spreadsheet to analyse the motion. The mass of the pendulum is 2.3 kg. Kinetic energy is one half mass times velocity squared and potential energy is mass times height times the acceleration due to gravity. The total energy is the sum of kinetic and potential.

What can you say about the potential, kinetic and total energy of the pendulum? Is energy conserved?