# What's the maximum angle a swing can obtain? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 25, 2012, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-maximum-angle-a-swing-can-obtain/619901 "2012-04-25T13:42:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-maximum-angle-a-swing-can-obtain/619901/21 "2012-04-26T19:33:40Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > You don’t have to go all the way from low-angle to 360 in a single cycle, nor do you have to pump while slack. You kind of do. If you go past 90 degrees you will fall straight back down, not along the arc of the swing. Your energy will go into bouncing the swing, and you lose momentum towards going 360. Once you get past 90 and start dropping straight down it’s pretty much impossible to add more energy into the system than you already have. ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-maximum-angle-a-swing-can-obtain/619901/22 "2012-04-26T19:44:23Z")
I remember in elementary school, tossing the swing around the top pole so that a swing would not sit so low to the ground. I feel like this is relevant in the sense that it is possible to get a swing with slack chains wrapped around the top. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-maximum-angle-a-swing-can-obtain/619901/23 "2012-04-26T19:47:31Z")
> [@](#): > > Your energy will go into bouncing the swing, Right, that’s what I’m saying. The energy isn’t lost when the chain goes slack, but when it goes taut again. So a method of harnessing the energy at that point might work. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-maximum-angle-a-swing-can-obtain/619901/24 "2012-04-26T19:50:01Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The chain going slack shouldn’t actually be an insurmountable problem, since it doesn’t actually remove any energy from the system. If anything, the loss in energy should come in the collision where the chain goes taut again. Come up with a way to store the energy dumped there, and it should be manageable. But when the chains go from slack to taut the kid will fall off the swing and since that’s what we’re talking about here… ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-maximum-angle-a-swing-can-obtain/619901/25 "2012-04-26T23:50:06Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > But when the chains go from slack to taut the kid will fall off the swing and since that’s what we’re talking about here… Oh great, just what I need, to fall off the swing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-maximum-angle-a-swing-can-obtain/619901.md?page=1)