Question

The image shows a pendulum in simple harmonic motion. The pendulum starts at A and swings to E.

Answer 1

D: Velocity is decreasing. Acceleration is increasing.

A: Velocity is zero.

Answer 2

The pendulum starts from rest at A, hence the velocity of pendulum at A is zero.

So velocity is zero at A

As the pendulum swings from A to E, it first gains speed from A to C and the speed decreases from C to E coming to a momentary stop at E.

Similarly, as the pendulum swings from A to E, the acceleration first decreases A to C (becoming zero at C) and the acceleration increases from C to E coming to a maximum at E.

So

D: Velocity is decreasing. Acceleration is increasing.