Interactive Simulator

Conservation Through a Swing

Drag the bob to choose a starting height, or use the slider, then release. Gravitational store at the top becomes kinetic store at the bottom and back again. Switch on air resistance and a thermal store appears: the swing fades, that energy is transferred to the surroundings, and the total bar stays exactly the same. Energy is transferred, never lost.

kinetic store gravitational store thermal store (surroundings)
Off On
With air resistance, the total energy will
kinetic store 0.0 J
gravitational store 0.0 J
thermal store (surroundings) 0.0 J
total energy 0.0 J (constant)