What does steady state mean for a pendulum?

[Marchionni]

Hi there.

I am working on some exercises where they ask about the steady state of a pendulum. I have had quantum mechanics, where the steady state meant a time independence. But I don't really see what this means for a pendulum. Is it steady when it's velocity is zero so there is no time dependence?

 

[kuruman]

Is it a driven pendulum? If so, steady state means "after the transients have died out."

 

[nrqed]

Hi there.

I am working on some exercises where they ask about the steady state of a pendulum. I have had quantum mechanics, where the steady state meant a time independence. But I don't really see what this means for a pendulum. Is it steady when it's velocity is zero so there is no time dependence?

Even in quantum mechanics, a "steady state" is not a state that is time independent (it is a state that is an eigenstate of the Hamiltonian, i.e. it has a time dependence of the form $e^{-i Et/\hbar}$.). To add to what kuruman said, steady state here means that the pendulum is following simple harmonic motion (with properties determined both by the eternal force and by the properties of the pendulum, the mass and spring constant).