Potential energy

Potential energy is energy associated with the positions or configurations of interacting parts, or an object's position in a force field. Its value depends on the chosen reference level.

Conservative force: A force whose work between two points is independent of the path taken. Only conservative forces admit a potential energy function whose changes track their work.
Energy: A conserved physical quantity that can be transferred or transformed and is associated with a system's capacity to produce change. Potential energy is one form within the broader accounting of energy.
Gravitational potential energy: Energy associated with the positions of masses in a gravitational field. Near Earth's surface, height determines changes in this familiar form.
Dissipative force: A force, such as friction, that converts organized mechanical energy into less recoverable forms. Dissipative forces generally prevent mechanical potential energy alone from accounting for energy changes.
Potential energy function: A function assigning potential energy to each position or configuration of a system. Its slope determines the force acting along the corresponding coordinate.
Kinetic energy: Energy associated with the motion of an object or system. It contrasts with potential energy as the motion-dependent term in mechanical energy.
Elastic potential energy: Energy stored when an elastic object is deformed from its relaxed configuration. A stretched or compressed spring stores energy through its changed configuration.
Gravitational potential: Potential energy per unit mass associated with a gravitational field. It describes the field independently of the mass placed within it.
Work (physics): The transfer of energy when a force acts through a displacement. Work by a conservative force equals the negative change in potential energy.
Reference level: A chosen position or state assigned zero value for a measured quantity. Potential energy values shift with the chosen zero, while measurable changes do not.

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