Question

a child swings on a swing at the playground. the motion of the swing resembles the motion of a pendulum. when is the kinetic energy of the swing the greatest? at the bottom of the swing it has the same amount of kinetic energy the entire time. when it reaches the highest point going backward when it reaches the highest point going forward

Explanation:

Kinetic energy (KE) depends on velocity ($KE = \frac{1}{2}mv^2$). At the highest points (forward/backward), the swing’s velocity is 0 (momentarily at rest), so KE is 0. At the bottom, the swing’s height is minimum, so potential energy (PE) is minimum. By conservation of mechanical energy ($PE + KE = \text{constant}$), minimum PE means maximum KE (since velocity is maximum here). The “same KE entire time” is wrong as velocity changes.

Answer:

A. at the bottom of the swing