my science teacher thought i had a really good question...?

Question

i said "if the universe is continuously moving, then wut has potential energy?" she had to ask the principle and he said that something only has potential energy reletive to something else. is this true?

Answer 1

I think your question is whether something has potential energy only in relation to something else.

The answer is no. For that to be true, there would always have to be a "something else". You may say a book resting on a table four feet above the floor has potential energy relative to the floor. But consider this:

There are three identical boxes. Inside each box is a spring. One spring is in tension, pulling on two opposite sides of the box. Another spring is only loosely connected, having neither tension nor compression. And the third spring is compressed, pushing against opposite sides of the box.

The masses of the three boxes, including the springs, are the same. Now each box is placed, sequentially, on an exquisitely sensitive scale. The three boxes will register different weights. The reason is that they have different amounts of potential energy,

The difference in weight is due to e = mc^2 -- the mass equivalent of the energy difference.

(And as I said, the scale must be sensitive.)

Answer 2

That is a really good question! I've read lots of books on cosmology and never heard it mentioned. Everything in the univese is moving relative to everything else, and this means there is potential energy in the relative motions. If there was a very long cable connected to two planets or other heavenly bodies, and their motions were separating them the potential energy could be made to do work until their motions were cancelled relative to each other.
It's now thought that the universe is expanding, and everything is moving away from everything else. They even say that the expansion is accelerating, so imagine the total potential energy this represents! But this only brings up another question: Where does all that free energy come from?

Answer 3

Everything, including VACCUUM has "potential" energy. By this I mean that Physicist now agree that "energy" is popping IN AND OUT OF EXISTANCE ALL THE TIME in a vaccuum. The only reason this is "allowed" is because at some time, it "pops out" too. So, its temporary. And "at the end of the Month, (so to speak) the Books the Universe Keeps, adds up." Also, not just magnetism pulls, but gravity, the original inertial force from the Big Bang, and many, many other things cause potential energy.

Sometimes energy can seemingly pop out of nothing, like a quasar being birthed from a black hole on the opposite side of the universe, etc. Just because you don't see a connection doesn't mean there isnt one.

Answer 4

Potential energy is energy that is "captured" in an object, with the potential to be released. There are various different types of potential energy. Many of these – such as gravitational, elastic, or electrical potential energy – arise from the relative positions or configurations of objects. The potential energy may then be defined as the work that must be done against a particular force – in these examples, gravitational, electrical or elastic force – so as to achieve that configuration. Chemical potential energy is slightly different, at least in its macroscopic manifestation: it is the energy that is available for release from chemical reactions (for example, by burning a fuel).

Gravitational Potential Energy

Gravitational potential energy is the energy that would be released if an object in a gravitational field (such as the earth's gravitational field) were allowed to fall from its current position to a given reference level (such as the surface of the earth). Equivalently, it is the energy required to raise the object from the reference level to the given height.

For example, a book lying on a table has greater gravitational potential energy than the same book on the floor, but less than if it were on top of a tall cupboard. To raise the book from the floor to the table, work must be done, and energy supplied. (If the book is lifted by a person then this is provided by the chemical energy obtained from that person's food and then stored in the chemicals of the body.) Assuming perfect efficiency (no energy losses), the energy supplied to lift the book is exactly the same as the increase in the book's gravitational potential energy. The book's potential energy can be realised (released) by knocking it off the table. As the book falls, its potential energy is converted to kinetic energy. When the book hits the floor this kinetic energy is converted into heat and sound by the impact.

The factors that affect an object's gravitational potential energy are: the mass of the object, the distance that it is raised, and the gravitational field strength. For example, raising the same object to the same height on the Moon would require less energy than on earth because the force of gravity on the Moon's surface is weaker. See the formulas below for more details.

Answer 5

if the universe is continously moving then the energy would be "kinetic energy" - the one that comes with motion. Now Potential energy - your teacher is right.,

Basically you just asked " what's the whole universe standing upon."

if you are really young, and hopefully before i die, i shld hope to hear this answer - maybe just another theory even if it comes from you -

Answer 6

Your principle is .... well a principle. Potential energy arises in various forms - gravitational, electrical, viscous chemical and believe it or not even in humanity (but it is seldom ever utilized). Are you sure you are not thinking about perpetual motion? Objects that go in motion tend to stay in motion, as long as, friction is not prevalent. Now tell me, where does friction not exist?

Answer 7

EVERYTHING is relative. In order for the universe to be expanding,it stands to reason that it is moving outward yes? In order to have movement , it must have had energy of some sort imparted to it is my reasoning.

Answer 8

Yes. He is right Relative to something else which has gravity.

Answer 9

it's all relative, your delging into matters not of astronomy, but of quantum physics. try reading a book called parallel universes

Answer 10

Everything you know is relative. You can not state fact that is not relative to something else.