Potential Energy Vocabulary

The ability of a system to do work; required for changes to happen within a system

• Force

• Mass

• Energy

Tags

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A push or pull that can change the motion of an object

• Weight

• Force

• Direction

Tags

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Energy that is stored in a system or object

• Potential Energy

• Kinetic Energy

• Mechanical Energy

Tags

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Where an object is located in relation to another object

• Speed

• Direction

• Relative Position

A group of interacting, interrelated or interdependent elements forming a complex whole

• System

• Force field

• Gravity

Tags

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NGSS.MS-LS2-3

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When objects have the potential to change their position due to the force of gravity

• Chemical potential energy

• Gravitational potential energy

• Elastic potential energy

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

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When energy is stored within the matter itself (for example, energy is stored in a battery)

• Elastic potential energy

• Magnetic potential energy

• Chemical potential energy

Energy that is stretched or compressed within an object (for example, stretching the string on a bow)

• Elastic potential energy

• Magnetic potential energy

• Static potential energy

When certain metal objects in a magnetic field have the potential to change their position due to the force of magnetism

• Static potential energy

• Elastic potential energy

• Magnetic potential energy

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-3

NGSS.MS-PS2-5

When charged particles in an electrostatic field have the potential of moving toward the opposite charge or away from the same charge

• Static potential energy

• Magnetic potential energy

• Chemical potential energy

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-3

NGSS.MS-PS2-5

NGSS.MS-PS3-2