But the act of erosion to get the rock to the edge requires kinetic energy. For example, a rock on the edge of a cliff does not directly need kinetic energy to store the potential energy that will send it down the eroding cliff face. Potential energy always leads to kinetic energy when it is released, and kinetic energy is needed to allow an object to store energy as potential, in one way or another. What Is the Relationship Between Potential and Kinetic Energy?Īlthough these primary forms of energy are very different, they are complementary to one another. In fact, velocity is the most important part of the equation when determining the amount of kinetic energy for any given object, and it is nonexistent in the potential energy equation. This measurement is the basis of kinetic energy, yet has nothing to do with potential energy. In other words, potential energy is stationary, with stored energy to be released kinetic energy is energy in motion, actively using energy for movement.Īnother important difference is velocity. The main difference between potential and kinetic energy is that one is the energy of what can be and one is the energy of what is. What Are the Differences Between Potential and Kinetic Energy? These three subcategories of kinetic energy comprise nearly all of the energy in motion throughout the known universe. Rotational kinetic energy is created by moving objects, while translational kinetic energy is caused by objects colliding with one another. Vibrational kinetic energy is, unsurprisingly, caused by objects vibrating. There are three subcategories of kinetic energy: vibrational, rotational, and translational. While mass is a universal measurement, the motion of an object can occur in many different ways, including rotation about an axis, vibration, translation, or any combination of these and other motions. The most important factors that determine kinetic energy is the motion (measured as velocity) and the mass of the object in question. When work is done on an object and it accelerates, it increases the kinetic energy of an object. Kinetic energy is created when potential energy is released, spurred into motion by gravity or elastic forces, among other catalysts. Understanding kinetic energy is intuitively easier because it’s more obvious that moving things have energy. The potential energy stored in the pullback is responsible for the energy that occurs upon release, which is known as kinetic energy. This is best demonstrated in an object like an archer’s bow, which stores the energy that is created from pulling back the bowstring. When objects are displaced from positions of equilibrium, they gain energy that was stored in the objects before being knocked out of equilibrium by elastic rebound, gravity, or chemical reactions. Potential energy of an object is found in its position, not its motion. It’s fairly straightforward, although slightly difficult to grasp intuitively: It is a form of energy that has the potential to do work but is not actively doing work or applying any force on any other objects. Potential energy is one of the two main types of energy in the universe. In the simplest terms, energy is the ability to do work, which is when a force is applied to an object and it moves. What Is Potential and Kinetic Energy?īefore understanding either form of energy, it’s vital to understand what energy really is. But to understand how they work, you first need to understand what they are - and the definition of energy itself. Though they’re very different in terms of how they interact with the physical world, they have certain aspects that make them complementary to one another. Energy is everywhere and comes in many forms, with the two most common forms known as potential energy and kinetic energy.
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