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Questions tagged [potential-energy]

Potential energy is the energy of a body or a system due to the position of the body or the arrangement of the particles of the system.

In physics, potential energy is the energy of a body or a system due to the position of the body or the arrangement of the particles of the system. The SI unit for measuring work and energy is the Joule (symbol J).

The term "potential energy" was coined by the 19th century Scottish engineer and physicist William Rankine.

Potential energy is closely linked with forces. If the work done moving along a path which starts and ends in the same location is zero, then the force is said to be conservative and it is possible to define a numerical value of potential associated with every point in space. A force field can be re-obtained by taking the negative of the vector gradient of the potential field.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Potential_energy&oldid=492762265

Examples of forms include:

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For an object at rest is the potential energy completely zero?

It is said every object in this universe tends to be at their lowest state of potential energy. What can be the lowest state of potential energy? And can the potential energy of an object be 0?
JITZ
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Does the potential energy of a single object exist?

I know that potential energy exists for a system of objects. But why? Is there no potential energy for a single object system? I assume that there is. Consider the earth-object system. Suppose an external force lifts the object above the earth. Then…
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When a stick that has been twisted into a knot burns, what happens to the potential energy?

I tied a springy stick into a knot, giving it potential energy, because it could spring out of the knot shape. But then I threw it into a fire and it burned to ash without untying. What happened to the potential energy? Asking on behalf of…
Jessica Alan
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If an object has no possible direction to go, does it still have potential energy?

If a ball is sitting in a highly concave bowl that is as close to the ground as it can possibly be, and there is no external force able to act on it, and it is not able to move in any direction whatsoever, does it still have potential energy?
TECTEC3 Studios
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Potential energy

In what form is potential energy stored in a system? I understand that when we do work we transfer some amount of energy to the system it can be seen as kinetic energy or potential energy. Suppose we lift a particle by doing mgh work on the…
oshhh
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Where is the potential energy saved?

If you increase the h (=height), potential energy will be increased given by U=mgh. Where does the energy go, into atoms?
mini
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potential energy change in conservative field

Is it true that potential energy of a particle always decreases in the direction of conservative force acting on it?
Pratik Aman
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Does the potential energy of a system of objects depend on the reference point or the nature of force existing between them?

Does the potential energy of a system consisting of two charged bodies depend on the reference point or the nature of force existing between them(attractive or repulsive)?
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Bending of a spline

The introduction section on this page states: "the spline will take a shape that minimizes the bending", while showing the formula for curvature of a real curve. Question is, what is the formula for the bending that is to be minimized, the curvature…
Coolwater
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How does potential energy describe whole interaction between 2 objects?

I know that potential energy is energy associated with conservative forces. My text book says that "potential energy describes interaction between 2 objects", following that it means potential energy describes whole interaction with non-conservative…
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Differences Between these equations (Electric Potential Energy)

$$U=\frac{q_0}{4\pi\epsilon_0}\left(\frac{q_1}{r_1}+\frac{q_2}{r_2}+\frac{q_3}{r_3}+\dots\right)=\frac{q_0}{4\pi\epsilon_0}\sum_i\frac{q_i}{r_i}$$ $$U=\frac1{4\pi\epsilon_0}[C]\sum_{i
CatsOnAir
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Potential, Potential energy, and Potential difference

Could someone please explain the difference between potential, potential energy, potential difference (in all types, like electrical/gravitational etc.)? Take potential for example: "The value of the potential at a point in space gives the amount of…
emm
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Helium balloon energy gain

I answered a question about a "vacuum balloon" and came up with a problem I feel should be simple, but I cannot find the answer. Imagine a zero-drag balloon of a density $a$. It floats up to a height $h$ against gravity of constant acceleration $g$…
Kotlopou
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Why do things move from Higher potential level to lower potential

Why do things(it may include positive charges or just water kept at height etc) move from Higher potential level to lower potential level Is that a law or there is some special reason behind it...or probably it is just the behaviour of nature
user265825
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True meaning of negative energy

Any body in a bound system tends to possess negative total energy, like a satellite in Earth's orbit, according to classical physics. An external agent needs to expend energy in order to bring such a body to infinity, that is, a state of zero…
Prajwal Muralidharan
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