Energy
Potential Energy
![Picture](/uploads/1/1/7/6/11762628/462861210.gif?349)
Potential energy is energy which results from position or configuration. An
object may have the capacity for doing work as a result of its position in a
gravitational field (gravitational potential energy), an electric field
(electric potential energy), or a magnetic field (magnetic potential energy). It may have elastic potential energy as a result of a stretched spring or other elastic deformation.
POTENTIAL ENERGY IS ENERGY THAT IS NOT IN MOTION!
object may have the capacity for doing work as a result of its position in a
gravitational field (gravitational potential energy), an electric field
(electric potential energy), or a magnetic field (magnetic potential energy). It may have elastic potential energy as a result of a stretched spring or other elastic deformation.
POTENTIAL ENERGY IS ENERGY THAT IS NOT IN MOTION!
Kinetic Energy
![Picture](/uploads/1/1/7/6/11762628/123992956.jpg?332)
Kinetic energy refers to a form of energy that represents motion. It can also be defined as scalar quantity which means that it possess magnitude but devoid of motion. This is so unlike momentum, force, velocity and acceleration. In essence, it can be described as a single magnitude. Due to this fact, it is always positive and this is clearly evidenced by the kinetic formula used to calculate kinetic energy.
KINETIC ENERGY IS ENERGY IN MOTION!
KINETIC ENERGY IS ENERGY IN MOTION!
Energy Around Us
We use the concept of energy to help us describe how and why things behave the way they do. We talk about solar energy, nuclear energy, electrical energy, chemical energy, etc. If you apply a force to an object, you may change its energy. That energy must be used to do work, or accelerate, an object. Energy is called a scalar; there is no direction to energy (as opposed to vectors). We also speak of kinetic energy, potential energy, and energy in springs. Energy is not something you can hold or touch. It is just another means of helping us to understand the world around us. Scientists measure energy in units called joules.
Kinetic and potential energies are found in all objects. If an object is moving, it is said to have kinetic energy (KE). Potential energy (PE) is energy that is "stored" because of the position and/or arrangement of the object. The classic example of potential energy is to pick up a brick. When it's on the ground, the brick had a certain amount of energy. When you pick it up, you apply force and lift the object. You did work. That work added energy to the brick. Once the brick is in a higher/new position, we would say that the increased energy was
stored in the brick as PE. Now the brick can do something it couldn't do before; it can fall. And in falling, can exert forces and do work on other objects.
(information from physics4kids.com)
If you think you are ready, take the quiz at
http://www.physics4kids.com/extras/quiz_motion_energy/index.html