As an oscillator swings, energy passes back and forth between kinetic and potential, but the total stays the same. It is all kinetic at the centre, where the speed is greatest, and all potential at the extremes, where it stops. The total energy is E = ½mω²x₀².
MissionPredict the form of the energy at the centre of the oscillation.Streak 0Best 0
At the centre of the oscillation (x = 0), the energy of the system is:
kinetic energy0 mJ
potential energy0 mJ
total energy E = ½mω²x₀²0 mJ
Mass m = 1.0 kg. KE is greatest at the centre and zero at the extremes; PE does the opposite; their sum is constant.