What are the components of a pendulum's acceleration vector?

Question

What are the components of the acceleration vector of a pendulum?

a) ax = 0, ay > 0

b) ax > 0, ay > 0

c) ax < 0, aY > 0

Answer 1

Hey Mike,

Since pendulums change speed and direction constantly, this answer should change depending on where the pendulum is.

For example, at the bottom of the pendulum's path, the acceleration will be straight up. But, at the top of the path, where the pendulum is turning around, the acceleration will be down and in towards the center of the path (perpendicular to the pendulum's arm).

So, none of these answers could be correct for the pendulum's whole range of motion.