John and Jim are on a swing set next to each other. They want to perform a physics experiment on oscillatory motion. John will start his swing 3 degrees back from equilibrium, and Jim will start his swing 9 degrees back from equilibrium. Based on what you know about oscillatory motion, who between John or Jim will reach the equilibrium position first? John and Jim are on a swing set next to each other. They want to perform a physics experiment on oscillatory motion. John will start his swing 3 degrees back from equilibrium, and Jim will start his swing 9 degrees back from equilibrium. Based on what you know about oscillatory motion, who between John or Jim will reach the equilibrium position first? John will reach first because he has less distance to travel. Jim will reach first because he has more energy and therefore more velocity. We can't tell who will reach the bottom first because we need to know their masses, as the gravitational acceleration plays a key role. Both will reach the equilibrium position simultaneously because the frequency doesn't depend on the amplitude.
