Potential Energy

Select all the objects in given situations that have potential energy.

• A cell phone charging.

• A car parked on a flat driveway.

• An archer with his bow drawn.

• A baseball was thrown to second base.

• A log in a fireplace about to be burned.

What type of potential energy is stored in the unpopped fireworks?

(a)  

Which firework pictured would have more potential energy?

(a)  

A bicycle rider is traveling up a hill. When the rider reaches the top of the hill, she stops to rest. Then, she travels down the hill. The diagram shows the rider in three different positions. What point is the bicycle rider experiencing the greatest potential energy? Explain how you know and why.

What is potential energy?

• Potential energy is the energy of motion in an object.
• Potential energy is the energy released during a chemical reaction.
• Potential energy is the energy associated with an object's temperature.
• Potential energy is the energy stored in an object due to its position or state.