Hello,

The degree of freedom of a system = Number of directions in which it can move.

So, for a simple pendulum degree of freedom = 2,

Degree of freedom is 2 because:

1. 1 Translational, with which simple pendulum moves along with.
2. It forms an arc motion about the hinge, that is Rotational.

So 2 is the answer.

Hello,

A simple pendulum has only one degree of freedom because its angle of inclination is specified by a single number. A simple pendulum consists of a mass m hanging from a string of length L and fixed at a pivot point P. When displaced to an initial angle and released, the pendulum will swing back and forth with periodic motion. The most commonly recognized use of pendulums is observed in clocks. Many clocks, like the grandfather clock use a pendulum to tally time.