POTENTIAL ENERGY

POTENTIAL VS. KINETIC

Potential Energy – the energy of position An object is not moving or doing work

Kinetic Energy – the energy of motion The faster an object moves, the more

kinetic energy it has

POTENTIAL ENERGY

Potential Energy is a type of energy that is “hidden” in some way.

Potential Energy can be converted to other forms of energy and often is related to some attractive or pushing forces.

FORMS OF POTENTIAL ENERGY

5 Forms of Potential Energy

1. Gravitational Potential Energy

2. Elastic Potential Energy

3. Chemical Potential Energy

4. Electrical Potential Energy

5. Magnetic Potential Energy

GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL ENERGY

There is a constant attractive force between the Earth and everything surrounding it, due to gravity.

GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL ENERGY

Gravitational Potential Energy: Potential energy that is dependent on the height above the Earth’s surface and the mass of the object

GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL ENERGY

The higher the position above the surface or a reference point, the greater the gravitational potential energy

GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL ENERGY

The greater the mass, the greater the gravitational potential energy

GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL ENERGY

Example: In the diagram the water in the reservoir represents gravitational potential energy because the height of the water will be used to increase the kinetic energy needed to move the turbine

GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL ENERGY

A change in the height of an object is evidence that the gravitational potential energy has changed.

ELASTIC POTENTIAL ENERGY

Elastic Potential Energy: Potential energy associated with how much an elastic object has been stretched or compressed and how difficult such a compression or stretch is.

ELASTIC POTENTIAL ENERGY

Anything that can act like a spring or a rubberband can have elastic potential energy.

ELASTIC POTENTIAL ENERGY

Example: When you stretch a rubberband it has stored energy – it is ready to do work. When you release the rubberband, the energy is converted into kinetic energy, or the energy of motion.

ELASTIC POTENTIAL ENERGY

A change in the amount of compression or stretch of an elastic object is evidence that the elastic potential energy has changed.

CHEMICAL POTENTIAL ENERGY

Chemical Potential Energy: Potential energy associated with the position and arrangement of the atoms within substances.

CHEMICAL POTENTIAL ENERGY

Rearranging atoms into new positions to form new substances (chemical reaction) is evidence that the chemical potential energy has most likely changed.

CHEMICAL POTENTIAL ENERGY

The energy transferred when a chemical system undergoes a reaction is often thermal energy.

ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL ENERGY

Electrical Potential Energy: Potential energy associated with the position of electrically charged objects relative to each other and the amount of charge they have.

Example: If you push a large boulder up to the top of a cliff, you are gaining gravitational potential energy the further you get from Earth’s surface. Similarly, the further a charge gets from the electrical field the more electrical potential energy it has.

ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL ENERGY

A change in the position of charged particles relative to each other is evidence of a change in electrical potential energy.

MAGNETIC POTENTIAL ENERGY

Magnetic Potential Energy: Potential energy associated with the position of magnetic objects relative to each other.

MAGNETIC POTENTIAL ENERGY

If the opposite poles are held apart, the potential energy will be the highest when they are near the edge of their attraction, and the lowest when they pull together.

MAGNETIC POTENTIAL ENERGY

Conversely, like poles will have the highest potential energy when forced together, and the lowest when they spring apart.