Potential energy Facts for Kids

Hydroelectric power plants use the stored energy of water from a high place to make electricity.

Imagine layers of an object. The higher layers spin slower. This helps us understand how energy is stored in an object's position.

Potential energy is the stored or "pent-up" energy that an object has because of its position or arrangement. Think of it as energy waiting to be used. It's often compared to kinetic energy, which is the energy of motion.

In physics, potential energy is the energy an object has because of where it is in a force field (like gravity) or how its parts are put together. For example, a ball held high above the ground has gravitational potential energy. A stretched spring has elastic potential energy. An electric charge in an electric field has electric potential energy. The standard unit for measuring energy is the joule (J).

Potential energy is linked to forces that try to bring things back to their original position, like a spring or gravity. When you stretch a spring or lift something heavy, you are working against these forces. This work doesn't disappear; it gets stored as potential energy. When you let go, the stored energy turns into kinetic energy as the object moves. The total amount of energy always stays the same, thanks to the law of conservation of energy.

What are some simple examples?
Different types of potential energy
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What are some simple examples?

You can see potential energy all around you!

When you carry a rock up a hill, you increase its potential energy because of gravity.
Stretching a rubber band gives it elastic potential energy. This is a type of electric potential energy.
A mixture of fuel and something that helps it burn (like oxygen) has chemical potential energy. This is another form of electric potential energy.
Batteries also store chemical potential energy.

Different types of potential energy

There are several kinds of potential energy, each connected to a different type of force.

Gravitational potential energy

A trebuchet uses the gravitational potential energy of its heavy counterweight to launch objects far away.

Gravitational potential energy is the energy an object has because of its height and mass. The higher an object is, and the heavier it is, the more gravitational potential energy it has. This energy is what makes objects fall towards each other, like an apple falling to the Earth.

When you lift an object away from the Earth's surface, you are giving it gravitational potential energy. This energy is stored because of its weight and height.

Electric potential energy

Electric potential energy is found between charges. Charges can be positive (+) or negative (-). Opposite charges (like positive and negative) attract each other, while similar charges (like two positives or two negatives) repel each other.

This energy is stored when charges are held apart or pushed together. For example, in a battery, chemical reactions create a separation of charges, storing electric potential energy.

Elastic potential energy

Springs are great for storing elastic potential energy.

Archery is an ancient way humans have used elastic potential energy.

Elastic potential energy is stored when a stretchy material, like a rubber band or a spring, is pulled or pushed. The more you stretch or compress the material, the more elastic potential energy it stores.

Think about a spring: the further you pull it or push it, the more energy it holds. When you let go, this stored energy is released, causing the spring to snap back.