Potential energy is the energy that an object possesses due to its position relative to other objects, stresses within itself, its electric charge, or other factors. It is the stored energy of position possessed by an object. Potential energy is one of the two main forms of energy, the other being kinetic energy. There are two main types of potential energy: gravitational potential energy and elastic potential energy.
Gravitational potential energy is the energy stored in an object as a result of its vertical position or height. The energy is stored as a result of the gravitational attraction of the Earth for the object. Elastic potential energy is the energy stored in an object when it is stretched or compressed.
Potential energy can be transformed into kinetic energy and vice versa. For example, when a ball is held up in the air, it has potential energy due to its position relative to the ground. When the ball is dropped, the potential energy is converted into kinetic energy as the ball falls towards the ground.
In summary, potential energy is the energy that an object possesses due to its position or configuration relative to other objects or factors. It is one of the two main forms of energy and can be transformed into kinetic energy.
