Sjack Abeling Gravity Wheel and the Worlds first Weight Power Plant

[TinselKoala]

I think we just about all were at one point.


Azy,

Here is an interesting little fact.  The tethered pendulum travels further but arrives at the bottom in the same time as a free fall weight.

This means its velocity must be higher in the tethered mode.
If its velocity is higher then its potential energy is higher.

I bet the sims don't reflect this point, lol

Ron

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2mdAvdPhT4

Perhaps you are misinterpreting the video. Actually what is being measured is the velocity, and it is equal for both.
From the video description:
"Using two photogates, we see that the vertical velocity of the dropped ball is identical to the horizontal velocity of the pendulum, measured at the same height. Potential energy has been converted to kinetic energy equally in both cases."

[noonespecial]

...and yet it would seem that the tethered ball is traveling approximately twice the distance (in the arc) as the dropped ball. In order for them both to arrive at the photogate at the exact same time strongly suggests that the pendulum ball would have to travel faster (greater velocity) for this to happen.

[TinselKoala]

...and yet it would seem that the tethered ball is traveling approximately twice the distance (in the arc) as the dropped ball. In order for them both to arrive at the photogate at the exact same time strongly suggests that the pendulum ball would have to travel faster (greater velocity) for this to happen.

As I said, it appears that you are misinterpreting the video. The times measured and displayed are the photogate transit times, NOT the time from release. The balls take the identical time to transit the sensing area of the photogates--a distance of a centimeter--hence, their speed at the gates is identical.  You can clearly see (or at least I can) that the ball in the first case takes less time from release to gate--it's travelling a lesser distance, after all.

[X00013]

If and what how its done enjoy or not http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PEQ7DQA9_g

[X00013]

if vid link is black screen, sorry, i will repost, yt suks yet again