Potential Energy Basics
This type of energy is stored due to an object’s position or condition.
What is potential energy?
Stretching this office supply gives it elastic potential energy.
What is a rubber band?
This playground device stores gravitational potential energy when you climb its steps.
What is a slide?
A stretched rubber band, a drawn bow, a wound spring, a rolling ball.
What is the rolling ball?
The energy an object has due to its position relative to Earth.
What is gravitational potential energy?
A book on a high shelf has this kind of potential energy because of gravity.
What is gravitational potential energy?
A compressed coil spring stores this form of potential energy.
What is elastic potential energy?
A hydroelectric dam generates electricity using water that has this type of stored energy.
What is gravitational potential energy?
Water at the top of a waterfall, a book on a shelf, a compressed spring, a moving car.
What is the moving car?
If you lift a 2 kg object twice as high, its gravitational potential energy does this.
What is doubles?
The formula mgh calculates gravitational potential energy; the h stands for this.
What is height?
According to Hooke’s Law, the force needed to stretch a spring is proportional to this quantity.
What is displacement (or extension/compression)?
A drawn bow in archery stores this type of potential energy.
What is elastic potential energy?
A charged battery, gasoline, food, a block sliding on ice.
What is the block sliding on ice?
This scientist’s law explains how the force of gravity affects falling objects.
Who is Isaac Newton?
This force field around Earth gives objects gravitational potential energy.
What is gravity?
This constant in a spring determines how stiff it is and how much elastic energy it can store.
What is the spring constant (k)?
A person at the top of a roller coaster hill has high potential energy and low energy of this type.
What is kinetic energy?
A stretched bungee cord, a mass lifted off the ground, an object in free fall, a bent diving board.
What is an object in free fall?
Gravitational potential energy is considered zero at a chosen reference point, often called this.
What is the zero level (or reference level)?
Gravitational potential energy increases when either mass increases or this quantity increases.
What is height?
Elastic potential energy can be released as this form of energy when the spring snaps back.
What is kinetic energy?
Wind-up toys store potential energy in the form of tension inside this internal mechanism.
What is a spring?
ATP in cells, uranium fuel, a chemical explosive, a ball bouncing after impact.
What is the ball bouncing?
A mp3 player is a.