What Is The Stored Energy Held By An Object?

Stored energy is energy that gets ‘trapped’ in an object due to the object’s position or intrinsic structure. There are several forms of stored energy, including potential energy, kinetic energy, chemical energy, nuclear energy, electromagnetic energy, gravitational potential energy, elastic potential energy, and thermal energy. This article will provide an overview of the different types of stored energy, explaining what they are and providing examples. The goal is to give readers a comprehensive understanding of the various forms of stored energy that exist.

Potential Energy

Potential energy is the stored energy held by an object due to its position or arrangement. There are several forms of potential energy, depending on the specifics of the object and system involved. Some common examples include:

Gravitational potential energy – Objects positioned above the ground have gravitational potential energy due to the pull of gravity on the object. The higher the object is above the ground, the greater its gravitational potential energy. For example, a book sitting on a high shelf has more gravitational potential energy than the same book sitting on the floor.

Elastic potential energy – Materials like springs or rubber bands that can be stretched or compressed have elastic potential energy. The energy is stored in the deformation of the material’s shape. The more a spring is compressed or stretched away from its relaxed state, the more elastic potential energy it possesses.

Chemical potential energy – Molecules and atoms that make up substances have chemical potential energy due to the arrangement of their bonds. This stored energy can be released in chemical reactions. For example, the molecules in gasoline have substantial chemical potential energy that is released when the gasoline is burned.

Kinetic Energy

Kinetic energy is the energy held by an object due to its motion. The faster an object moves, the more kinetic energy it possesses. Some examples of kinetic energy include:

• A moving car, train, or airplane
• A spinning flywheel
• Flowing water in a river or stream



• Wind blowing across the landscape

The amount of kinetic energy depends on the mass and velocity of the moving object. The kinetic energy formula is:

KE = 1/2 x m x v^2

Where m is the object’s mass and v is its velocity. This shows that kinetic energy increases exponentially with velocity. Even small increases in speed can greatly boost an object’s kinetic energy.

Chemical Energy

Chemical energy is the potential energy stored in the bonds between atoms and molecules. It is energy derived from chemical reactions and chemical changes. When the chemical bonds are broken, usually through combustion or digestion, the stored chemical energy is released as heat and can be used to do work.

Common examples of stored chemical energy include:

• Batteries – The chemical reactions that take place in batteries release electrons, generating an electric current that can power devices.
• Food – Foods like fats and sugars contain chemical energy that is released when digested by organisms. This provides organisms the fuel they need to survive.
• Fuel – The hydrocarbons in fossil fuels have high energy bonds that, when broken through combustion, release large amounts of heat energy that can be used to power engines and generate electricity.

In summary, chemical energy is the potential energy stored within the atomic bonds of chemical compounds. This energy is released in chemical reactions and can be harnessed for human use.

Nuclear Energy

Nuclear energy is the energy stored in the nucleus of an atom. It is released when the nuclei of certain heavy elements like uranium or plutonium are split (nuclear fission) or fused together (nuclear fusion). Nuclear fission involves splitting the nucleus of a heavy atom like uranium into two lighter nuclei, releasing energy in the process. This is the reaction that occurs inside nuclear power plants. Nuclear fusion involves fusing two light nuclei together to form a heavier nucleus, also releasing energy. This is the reaction that powers the sun and other stars. Both fission and fusion release incredible amounts of energy, millions of times more than from chemical reactions. This makes nuclear energy extremely dense and powerful.

Some examples of nuclear fission reactions used for energy production include:

• Uranium-235 + neutron -> fission products + 2-3 neutrons + energy
• Plutonium-239 + neutron -> fission products + 2-3 neutrons + energy

Nuclear fusion reactions can also produce energy, such as:

• Deuterium + tritium -> helium + neutron + energy
• Hydrogen + hydrogen -> deuterium + positron + neutrino + energy

Both fission and fusion reactions release energy that can be harnessed for electricity generation and other applications. Nuclear power plants use controlled fission reactions to produce heat and power turbines. Fusion power is still in early research stages but could provide nearly limitless clean energy if harnessed successfully.

Electromagnetic Energy

Electromagnetic energy is the energy stored in electromagnetic fields. It is the energy that results from the movement of electrically charged particles. Examples of electromagnetic energy include the energy stored in capacitors and inductors.

A capacitor is a device that stores electric charge. It consists of two conductive plates that are separated by an insulating material called a dielectric. When the plates of a capacitor are connected to a voltage source such as a battery, electrons accumulate on one plate, leaving the other plate positively charged. The capacitor stores energy in the form of an electric field between its plates. The amount of energy stored depends on the capacitance of the capacitor and the voltage applied.

An inductor is a device that stores energy in a magnetic field. It consists of a coil of wire that creates a magnetic field when electric current passes through it. The energy is stored in the magnetic field that is produced by the current-carrying coil. When the current is stopped, the collapsing magnetic field induces a voltage in the inductor. The amount of energy stored depends on the inductance of the inductor and the current flowing through it.

In both capacitors and inductors, energy is stored in their electric and magnetic fields. This electromagnetic energy can be harnessed and converted to other forms like electrical energy.

Gravitational Potential Energy

Gravitational potential energy is the stored energy held by an object due to its position relative to the ground or another object. For example, a book sitting on a table has gravitational potential energy relative to the floor below it. The higher the book is above the floor, the greater its gravitational potential energy. Here’s an explanation of gravitational potential energy:

Gravitational potential energy exists between two objects that have mass. The larger the mass of the objects, the greater the gravitational potential energy. For instance, a boulder held over the edge of a tall cliff has more gravitational potential energy than a pebble held at the same height. This is because the mass of the boulder is much greater than the mass of the pebble.

Gravitational potential energy can be calculated using the object’s mass, the height it is raised, and the gravitational acceleration (g, which is 9.8 m/s2 on Earth). The formula is:

Gravitational potential energy = mass x gravitational acceleration x height

One example of using gravitational potential energy is with hydroelectric dams. The water held behind the dam has gravitational potential energy that can be converted to electricity. The higher the water level behind the dam and the greater the mass of water, the more gravitational potential energy is stored. As the water falls through the dam, it turns turbines to generate electricity for homes and businesses.

Other examples are objects on shelves, treehouses, and rollercoaster carts at the top of tracks. All these objects gain gravitational potential energy when raised up that can later be converted to kinetic energy when they fall down.

Elastic Potential Energy

Elastic potential energy is the potential energy possessed by an object due to deformation of an elastic physical body or the distortion of the shape of an object with restoration force (like an elastic band).

Some common examples of elastic potential energy include:

• Stretched or compressed springs. The energy is released when the spring returns to its relaxed state.
• Stretched rubber bands. The energy is released as the rubber band snaps back to its original shape.
• A drawn bow. The energy is released as the arrow is shot forward.
• Compressed gases. The energy is released as the gas expands.

In all these examples, the elastic potential energy results from the separation of molecules that are ordinarily close together. When released, the molecules snap back together and release the stored elastic potential energy.

Thermal Energy

Thermal energy refers to the total kinetic energy of the microscopic motions and vibrations of the particles that make up an object. The higher the temperature of an object, the greater the thermal energy it possesses. This stored energy comes from the kinetic energy of atoms and molecules in constant motion.

Thermal energy is often referred to as heat. However, heat specifically refers to the transfer of thermal energy between objects, while thermal energy is the total kinetic energy of an object’s particles. Thermal energy is directly proportional to temperature – the higher the temperature, the greater the thermal energy.

Some examples of objects possessing thermal energy include:

• A hot cup of coffee or tea
• An oven heating up
• The human body, which maintains a constant internal temperature
• The Earth’s core, which is hot due to radioactive decay and friction
• The Sun, which produces enormous amounts of thermal energy from nuclear fusion

In each of these examples, the high kinetic energy of microscopic particles corresponds to a high temperature and greater thermal energy. This internal energy can be transferred between objects as heat. Thermal energy is an important form of stored energy for many everyday applications.

Conclusion

Stored energy, also known as potential energy, is the energy held by an object due to its position or arrangement of parts. There are several main types of stored energy:

• Gravitational potential energy – energy stored due to an object’s height relative to the ground

• Elastic potential energy – energy stored when elastic materials like springs or rubber bands are stretched or compressed

• Chemical energy – energy stored in the bonds between atoms and molecules that is released in chemical reactions

• Nuclear energy – energy from the binding forces between protons and neutrons in an atomic nucleus

• Electromagnetic energy – energy stored in electric and magnetic fields

In our daily lives, we rely on converting stored energy into other forms that can do work. For example, batteries convert chemical energy into electrical energy to power devices, food gives our bodies chemical energy to move, and hydroelectric dams use gravitational potential energy from falling water to generate electricity.

Understanding the different forms of stored energy allows us to better harness them to improve technology, produce electricity, power transportation, and meet the energy needs of society.