Question

Define potential energy. On what factors does potential energy depend.

Answer 1

1. Potential energy is the energy contained by a body at rest.
2. If we take an example of a stretched spring when it's displaced from its actual state, it gains some amount of energy which we can feel like stress applied by it. This energy is potential energy. When we release the spring, all the potential energy is converted into kinetic energy as it starts a motion.
3. In equation form, the potential energy of an object is the product of the mass of that object to its height of it from a specific point and to the acceleration due to the gravity value of that place. $P.E=mgh$where m=mass, g=acceleration due to gravity, and h=height.
4. The potential energy of a body depends on various factors.
   • It includes the mass of the body, the greater the mass, the greater the potential energy.
   • It depends upon the acceleration due to the gravity of the place at which the body is kept.
   • The height of the body from a specific point is also a factor affecting potential energy. The more the height, the more potential energy.