Mechanical Energy: Where Does It Go?

In summary, when a pendulum is released from an elevated area, its mechanical energy is dissipated as heat due to friction with the air and flexing of its supporting structure. This is in accordance with the law of conservation of energy, which states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred or transformed. Therefore, the energy of the pendulum must go somewhere, and in this case, it is transferred to the surrounding environment through various forms of dissipation. It is important to note that in the real world, friction is a non-conservative force, meaning that the path of the pendulum will affect the amount of energy dissipated.
  • #1
isyang94
16
0
When a pendulum is let go from an elevated area, it will eventually stop swinging. But if this occurs then where had the mechanical energy gone to?
 
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  • #2
It's dissipated as heat, mostly from wind resistance, some from the flexing of whatever's holding it up.
 
  • #3
explain in details please
 
  • #4
because according to the law of conservation of energy, the gravitational potential energy and the kinetic energy would just stay the same the whole time but it is only slightly dissipated by heat, where else does it all go?
 
  • #5
You were already given the correct answer.

It's not swinging in a vacuum. The energy is dissipated through friction with the air (drag) while it is in motion and through heat as whatever holds it up is flexed. Like you said, energy must be conserved and HAS to go somewhere. Since the pendulum only interacts with the surrounding environment, then that is where it has gone.

Don't put your own interpretation onto conservation of energy because you're taking an introductory physics class. Friction is a NON-CONSERVATIVE force, meaning that you cannot consider the motion of a pendulum in the real world to be path independant. The path that it travels causes drag, and a reduction of the energy within the pendulum.
 

Related to Mechanical Energy: Where Does It Go?

1. Where does mechanical energy come from?

Mechanical energy comes from the movement or position of an object. It can be generated by a variety of sources, such as machines, human or animal muscles, or natural forces like wind and water.

2. How is mechanical energy converted into other forms of energy?

Mechanical energy can be converted into other forms of energy through processes like friction, heat transfer, and chemical reactions. For example, when a car brakes, the mechanical energy of its motion is converted into heat energy through friction between the brake pads and the wheels.

3. What happens to mechanical energy when an object stops moving?

When an object stops moving, its mechanical energy is transformed into other forms of energy. For example, if a ball is thrown into the air and then falls to the ground, its mechanical energy is converted into kinetic energy as it falls, and then into potential energy when it reaches the ground.

4. Can mechanical energy be created or destroyed?

According to the law of conservation of energy, energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another. Therefore, mechanical energy can only be converted into other forms of energy, but cannot be created or destroyed.

5. How is mechanical energy measured?

Mechanical energy is measured in joules (J) or foot-pounds (ft-lb). It is calculated by multiplying the mass of an object by its velocity squared. The faster an object is moving and the more mass it has, the greater its mechanical energy will be.

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