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Can a pendulum swing in vacuum?

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Anonymous

17y ago
Updated: 10/4/2020

Yes. The swing of a pendulum is caused by gravity acting on the mass of the pendulum. Actually, enclosing a pendulum in a container and removing all the air inside (thus creating a vacuum) would actually help the pendulum to swing for a longer period of time. That's because air creates drag on the moving mass, slowing it down. Think of a person trying to walk into a stiff breeze. Slows you down, right? The same thing happens to the pendulum as it moves through the air. Now, if by vacuum you really meant out in space where there is no air, that's a different situation. There is no (or very little) gravity in space, when you are not on or near a large body such as a planet. A pendulum in space would not work due to the lack of gravity there.

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Wiki User

17y ago

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What would happen if a pendulum is set to swing in vacuum?

In a vacuum, the pendulum would continue to swing back and forth without air resistance to slow it down or stop it. This would result in the pendulum swinging with very little loss of energy over time, creating a more consistent and longer-lasting motion.


Do simple pendulum vibrates in vacuum?

Yes, a simple pendulum can still vibrate in a vacuum because its motion depends on the force of gravity and its initial displacement. The absence of air resistance in a vacuum does not affect the pendulum's ability to swing back and forth.


What is the name of the bottom of the pendulum swing?

The bottom of the pendulum swing is called the equilibrium position.


Is the ending and starting height of the pendulum exactly the same?

No, the swing of the pendulum will never carry it back quite as high as it was when it started. The pendulum must work against air resistance, and so a little bit of momentum is lost with every swing. Even if the pendulum operated in a vacuum, there would still be some tiny amount of friction at the point where the pendulum is attached to its frame. The swing of a pendulum is never 100% efficient. So the pendulum will run down.


Would a pendulum swinging in a vacuum be a reversible process?

Yes, a pendulum swinging in a vacuum would be a reversible process because there would be no external forces like air resistance or friction to dissipate energy. In a perfectly idealized vacuum, the pendulum would swing back and forth indefinitely without any loss of energy, making the motion reversible.


How can you make a pendulum swing without stopping Is it possible?

Every time the pendulum swings back and forth, some energy is lost to friction. Friction with air, and friction in the supporting string or whatever. If you manage to reduce this friction (for example, reduce air friction by making the pendulum swing in a vacuum), it will swing longer. However, you won't be able to reduce energy losses completely; it may swing longer, but not forever.


What kind of pendulum is playground swing?

A simple pendulum.


How can you make a pendulum to swing faster?

You can make a pendulum swing faster by increasing its initial height or by shortening the length of the pendulum. Both of these actions will result in a larger potential energy that will be converted into kinetic energy, causing the pendulum to swing faster.


What happens to acceleration of pendulum at its lowest point of its swing?

The acceleration of a pendulum is zero at the lowest point of its swing.


What are some objects that swing like a pendulum?

a person sitting on a swing without really trying


Why does a swinging pendulum lose energy once it is set into motion?

When a pendulum is released to fall, it changes from Potential energy to Kinetic Energy of a moving object. However, due to friction (ie: air resistance, and the pivot point) and gravity the pendulum's swing will slowly die down. A pendulum gets its kinetic energy from gravity on its fall its equilibrium position which is the lowest point to the ground it can fall, however, even in perfect conditions (a condition with no friction) it can never achieve a swing (amplitude) greater than or equal to its previous swing. Every swing that the pendulum makes, it gradually looses energy or else it would continue to swing for eternity without stopping. Extra: Using special metals that react little to temperature, finding a near mass-less rod to swing the bob (the weight) and placing the pendulum in a vacuum has yielded some very long lasting pendulums. While the pendulum will lose energy with every swing, under good conditions the amount of energy that the pendulum loses can be kept relatively small. Some of the best pendulum clocks can swing well over a million times.


What would happen if a pendulum were to swing on the moon?

If a pendulum were to swing on the moon, it would swing more slowly and for a longer period of time compared to on Earth due to the moon's lower gravity. This is because gravity affects the speed and duration of the pendulum's swing.