Understanding potential and kinetic energy in action
Understanding potential and kinetic energy in action
Learn about how potential energy and kinetic energy are harnessed to generate electricity through facilities such as the Aswan High Dam.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Transcript
Energy, or the capacity for doing work, is divided into two types:
potential energy...
...and kinetic energy. Potential energy is stored energy that depends upon the relative position of various parts of a system. A spring has more potential energy when it is compressed or stretched;
And a steel ball has more potential energy raised above the ground than it has after falling to Earth.
In both examples, these objects are capable of doing more work. Kinetic energy, on the other hand, involves motion. Work is the transfer of energy; it is done by applying a net force that speeds up an object, and thus the object gains kinetic energy. Kinetic energy is a property of a moving object. It depends on motion, but it also depends upon an object’s mass. In practical terms, potential energy can be used to create kinetic energy to do different things. The stored chemical energy in liquid gasoline can be released when it is ignited, and the resulting kinetic energy can be used to power vehicles. Similarly, the energy of position that occurs in a reservoir of water held back by a dam, such as the Aswan High Dam in Egypt, can be transformed into kinetic energy—in this case the controlled release of water can be used to turn turbines to generate electricity.
potential energy...
...and kinetic energy. Potential energy is stored energy that depends upon the relative position of various parts of a system. A spring has more potential energy when it is compressed or stretched;
And a steel ball has more potential energy raised above the ground than it has after falling to Earth.
In both examples, these objects are capable of doing more work. Kinetic energy, on the other hand, involves motion. Work is the transfer of energy; it is done by applying a net force that speeds up an object, and thus the object gains kinetic energy. Kinetic energy is a property of a moving object. It depends on motion, but it also depends upon an object’s mass. In practical terms, potential energy can be used to create kinetic energy to do different things. The stored chemical energy in liquid gasoline can be released when it is ignited, and the resulting kinetic energy can be used to power vehicles. Similarly, the energy of position that occurs in a reservoir of water held back by a dam, such as the Aswan High Dam in Egypt, can be transformed into kinetic energy—in this case the controlled release of water can be used to turn turbines to generate electricity.