Potential Energy

The Potential Energy Video Tutorial discusses the nature of potential energy as an energy stored in an object as a result of its position. Both gravitational and elastic potential energy are discussed and numerous examples are provided with attention given to both the conceptual and the mathematical aspects of these two energy forms.

The video lesson answers the following questions:

1. What is gravitational potential energy and how do you calculate it?
2. What is elastic potential energy and how do you calculate it?

Video

You can watch the video below, or click here to watch on YouTube (opens in a new tab).

To improve the effectiveness of the learning experience, The Physics Classroom has provided the following tools:

Additional and Related Learning Tools

Name That Energy Concept Builder
Can you read a statement of a physical scenario and identify whether the described object has KE or PE or both or neither? You probably need to develop this skill and the Name That Energy Concept Builder will help.

What's Up (or Down) with KE and PE? Concept Builder
Look for verbal cues within a descrption and determine if the KE and the PE are increasing, decreasing or remaining constant. Great practice. Needed practice.

Minds On Phyiscs - Mission WE3: Kinetic and Potential Energy
You want to raise your game a notch? Here's how: click this link and try the newly revised Minds On Physics mission on the topic of kinetic end potential energy. Your reward will be given on test day.

Physics Classroom Tutorial. Work, Energy and Power Chapter: Lesson 1: Potential Energy
Physics doesn't have to be for rocket scientists only. With the right language - the easy-to-understand language - anyone can understand physics. Check this page out and you will see that it is true.

Teacher Resources

Curriculum Corner, Work, Energy, and Power Section: Energy
Get students active and thinking with one of our free Think Sheets from the Curriclum Corner section of our website. Here's one on ...
Energy

Teacher Toolkits, Work-Energy Fundamentals
Try a Teacher Toolkit ... you might be very glad that you did. Each toolkit includes annotated links to vetted resources from across the web that we feel reliably support the specific topic. Give this one on work and energy a try.

Name That Energy Concept Builder
In this Concept Builder, students read a physical scenario and identify whether the described object has KE or PE or both or neither. Great practice.

What's Up (or Down) with KE and PE? Concept Builder
In this Concept Builder, students look for verbal cues within a descrption and determine if the KE and the PE are increasing, decreasing or remaining constant. Great practice. And needed practice.

Minds On Phyiscs - Mission WE3: Kinetic and Potential Energy
Our newly revised HTML5 version of Minds On Physics can provide your students the workout they need to be successful in Physics. Each question in these interactive questioning modules are accompanied by a question-specicific help page. Best of all, you can purchase an account and track your students' progress. For intense practice, you can't go wrong with "MOPs".

Physics Classroom Tutorial. Work, Energy and Power Chapter: Lesson 1: Potential Energy
Our Tutorial section is the textbook on the site. Its also the most trafficked section of the site. And for good reason. It proves time and again that anyone can understand Physics. Point troubled students to this page. Point any student to this page.

Lesson Notes

Download (opens in a new tab) or view below

Slides

Do you like the slides we used? They are available in our low cost Teacher Presentation Pack, along with other updated materials used in our presentation.