How is there kinetic energy at the bottom of the pendulum swing if velocity = 0 at the lowest point?

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imperiablogyy · Accepted Answer

At the bottom of the swing the vertical component of the velocity is (ideally) zero, but there is definitely a horizontal non-zero component to the velocity. In other words, at that point it is swinging from right to left or from left to right.

tikaj1x · Accepted Answer

In polar coordinates,      v    =            d      r              d      t                  r      ^        +  r            d      θ              d      t                  θ      ^      Throughout the entire motion of the pendulum,   d  r      /    d  t  =  0, so we have in this case      v    =  r            d      θ              d      t                  θ      ^      At the lowest point of the pendulum,   r  ≠  0 and   d  θ      /    d  t  ≠  0, therefore,       v    ≠  0In regards to some of your comments, note that   d  r      /    d  t is not the slope of the trajectory. That is   d  y      /    d  x, which in this case is just equal to   tan  ⁡  θ

How is there kinetic energy at the bottom of the pendulum swing if velocity = 0 at the lowest point?

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