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  2. Potential energy - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potential_energy

    In physics, potential energy is the energy held by an object because of its position relative to other objects, stresses within itself, its electric charge, or other factors. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] The term potential energy was introduced by the 19th-century Scottish engineer and physicist William Rankine , [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] although it has links to the ...

  3. Electric potential energy - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_potential_energy

    The electrostatic potential energy U E stored in a system of two charges is equal to the electrostatic potential energy of a charge in the electrostatic potential generated by the other. That is to say, if charge q 1 generates an electrostatic potential V 1 , which is a function of position r , then U E = q 2 V 1 ( r 2 ) . {\displaystyle U ...

  4. Potential well - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potential_well

    Energy may be released from a potential well if sufficient energy is added to the system such that the local maximum is surmounted. In quantum physics, potential energy may escape a potential well without added energy due to the probabilistic characteristics of quantum particles; in these cases a particle may be imagined to tunnel through the walls of a potential well.

  5. Electric potential - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_potential

    For example, the gravitational potential energy of a cannonball at the top of a hill is greater than at the base of the hill. As it rolls downhill, its potential energy decreases and is being translated to motion – kinetic energy. It is possible to define the potential of certain force fields so that the potential energy of an object in that ...

  6. Specific potential energy - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specific_potential_energy

    The potential has units of energy per mass, e.g., J/kg in the MKS system. By convention, it is always negative where it is defined, and as x tends to infinity, it approaches zero. The gravitational field, and thus the acceleration of a small body in the space around the massive object, is the negative gradient of the gravitational potential ...

  7. Thermodynamic potential - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermodynamic_potential

    A thermodynamic potential (or more accurately, a thermodynamic potential energy) [1] [2] is a scalar quantity used to represent the thermodynamic state of a system. Just as in mechanics , where potential energy is defined as capacity to do work, similarly different potentials have different meanings.

  8. Gravitational potential - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_potential

    The gravitational potential (V) at a location is the gravitational potential energy (U) at that location per unit mass: =, where m is the mass of the object. Potential energy is equal (in magnitude, but negative) to the work done by the gravitational field moving a body to its given position in space from infinity.

  9. Minimum total potential energy principle - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimum_total_potential...

    The minimum total potential energy principle is a fundamental concept used in physics and engineering.It dictates that at low temperatures a structure or body shall deform or displace to a position that (locally) minimizes the total potential energy, with the lost potential energy being converted into kinetic energy (specifically heat).