Potential energy

Potential Energy

Potential energy is the energy that an object has because of its position relative to other objects, stresses within itself, its electric charge, or other factors. It is called potential energy because it has the potential to be converted into other forms of energy, such as kinetic energy.

Types of Potential Energy

There are several types of potential energy, including:

• Gravitational potential energy: This is energy an object possesses because of its position in a gravitational field. The higher and heavier the object, the more gravitational potential energy it has.

• Elastic potential energy: This is energy stored in elastic materials as the result of their stretching or compressing. Elastic potential energy can be stored in rubber bands, bungee chords, trampolines, springs, an elastic band, etc.

• Chemical potential energy: This is energy stored in the bonds of atoms and molecules. It is the energy that holds these particles together.

• Nuclear potential energy: This is the energy stored in the nucleus of an atom. It is released during nuclear reactions.

Potential Energy Formula

The formula for potential energy depends on the force acting on the object. The most common formula is for gravitational potential energy (PE), which can be calculated using the formula:

PE = mgh

where:

• m is the mass of the object,
• g is the acceleration due to gravity, and
• h is the height of the object above the ground.

See Also

• Kinetic energy
• Conservation of energy
• Work (physics)
• Energy (physics)

References

Potential energy Resources
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