How does a pendulum work?

A pendulum works in a pretty straightforward way. Imagine you have a weight hanging on a string or rod, and you pull it to one side and let go. What happens is a game of energy swapping. Initially, when you pull the pendulum up, you're giving it potential energy — the energy it has due to its position. Then, when you let it go, gravity kicks in and pulls it down, turning this potential energy into kinetic energy, which is the energy of movement. As the pendulum swings down to the lowest point, it speeds up because it's converting all that potential energy into kinetic energy. At the very bottom of its path, it has the most kinetic energy and moves the fastest. Then, as it swings up to the other side, it starts to slow down again because that kinetic energy is being converted back into potential energy. But there's also a bit of energy lost along the way due to air resistance and friction at the point where the pendulum is hanging. That's why, over time, the pendulum swings less and less until it eventually stops. This whole process is a classic example of energy transformation and shows how forces like gravity affect motion.