Identify where potential energy is least or greatest as an object changes position - Middle School Physical Science

Card 1 of 170

0
Didn't Know
Knew It
0
1 of 2019 left
Question

Would a ball have more gravitational potential energy when it is kicked in the air, or when it's on the ground?

Tap to reveal answer

Answer

The answer is "when it is in the air" because when objects are positioned higher off the ground they have more gravitational potential energy.

Potential Energy is “stored energy.” It is energy that is ready to be converted or released as another type of energy. We most often think of potential energy as gravitational potential energy. When objects are higher up, they are ready to fall back down. When you stretch an object and it has a tendency to return to its original shape, it is said to have elastic potential energy. Chemical potential energy is the stored energy in a substance’s chemical structure that can be released in a chemical reaction or as heat.

Potential energy is greatest when the most energy is stored. This could be when an object reaches its highest point in the air before falling, a rollercoaster just before it drops, or when a rubber band is stretched as far back as possible before it snaps. Potential energy is then converted to kinetic energy.

← Didn't Know|Knew It →