Vidya is enjoying her time on the swing. She notices that the greater the angle with which she starts the swinging, the greater is the speed she achieves on her swing. But where is the angle? Are you able to see any angle?
The angle in a swing is formed at the point where the swing chains are attached to the support bar above.
The vertex is at the attachment point.
One arm is the vertical line (when the swing is at rest), and the other arm is the line along the chain when the swing is pulled back.
∴ The greater this angle of displacement from the vertical, the greater the potential energy and the faster the swing will move.
Explanation
The chapter discusses angles formed by rotation. In a swing, the angle is formed between the vertical rest position and the displaced position when someone pulls the swing back. The vertex is at the top where the chains attach to the support. The angle represents how far the swing has been pulled back from its resting position. A larger starting angle means more potential energy, resulting in greater speed.
Solution Steps
Identify where the angle is formed: at the point where swing chains attach to the support bar.
Identify the vertex: the attachment point where chains connect to the support.
Identify the two arms: the vertical line (rest position) and the chain line (displaced position).
Understand the relationship: greater angle of displacement means greater potential energy and greater speed.