What is Potential Energy?
Potential Energy is the stored energy an object has from its position or state. Meaning if you are holding a rubber band with your index finger and thumb, You are giving the rubber band Potential Energy because the energy into the rubber band system when you stretched the rubber band. Because it is an elastic system, this kind of Potential Energy is specifically called Elastic Potential Energy. ... When the rubber band is released, the potential energy is quickly converted to Kinetic Energy.
What else does Potential Energy do?
There is a lot of Potential Energy around you. For example, a rock sitting at the edge of a cliff has potential energy. If the rock falls, the potential energy will be converted to kinetic energy. Also a stick of dynamite has chemical Potential Energy that would be released when the activation energy from the fuse comes into contact with the chemicals. Again the food we eat has chemical potential energy because as our body digests it, it provides us with energy for basic metabolism.
What would happen if there was no Potential Energy?
Simply if there was no Potential Energy, everything would instantly have Kinetic Energy. So it would go very fast.
Potential Energy around you...
Here are some examples of Potential Energy
- When a crane swings a wrecking ball up to a certain height, it gains more potential energy and has the ability to crash through buildings.
- A stretched spring in a pinball machine has elastic potential energy and can move the steel ball when released.
- Tree branches high up in a tree have potential energy because they can fall to the ground.
Fun facts
- There are two main types of potential energy: gravitational potential energy and elastic potential energy.
| - The heavier an object and the higher it is above the ground, the more gravitational potential energy it has. |
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