How do you tell if a substance has kinetic energy or potential energy?

Question

I can't seem to find this in any of the texts or sites I'm using.
Please, I don't want any quick/simple answers (I'm not a cheater). Can someone push me toward the right answer? (this is a question for a class friday morning...)

Answer 1

well, the nonscientific answer is to determine whether it's doing something or not. If it's doing something (like moving) then it's kinetic energy. If it's just sitting there doing nothing, it's potential energy. Think of potential as the way the word implies: it has the ability to do something, but it's saving that energy. As soon as it starts moving or reacting or something, the potential is converted into kintetic energy (the energy of movement). That's the best way I can think to explain it.

Answer 2

Well im only in 8th grade and we are learning about this stuff.Ill give you an example from a work sheet.
EX:
As you throw a ball up into the air, it has the greatest kinetic energy because it is in motion.When the ball reaches its top height, a change in motion happens.Kinetic Energy is transfered to potential energy in the small amount of time that it goes from going up then down.Once the ball starts to make its way back down, another transfer is made: Potential-->Kinetic Energy.
Potential Energy: Energy stored in "readyness"
*Remember that potential energy is energy that is stored.
Kinetic Energy: Energy that is in motion.
*Remeber kinetic energy is energy that would be assosiated with a baseball moving or a a rubber band in motion.

Answer 3

Here's how I explained it once to a boy I tutored: I put a book on the desk. This is potential energy. It has the "potential" to move. I pushed the book off the desk. This is kinetic energy. It is moving.

Answer 4

a boulder at the top of a hill has potential energy. another one rolling down the hill has kinetic energy. kinetic energy is measured as work being done. potential energy is measured as the difference between two energy states, before and after action. in electricity, volts would be a measure of potential energy while watts is kinetic.

Answer 5

You are making mention of a "substance" which leads me to believe that you are referring to chemistry. Or am I wrong?

Any way, in plain folk talk, potential energy is the energy stored in some object/substance, awaiting to be released. and kinetic energy is the energy which is released and put to motion.

Here is a little more scientific information for you.

http://jersey.uoregon.edu/vlab/PotentialEnergy/index.html

Answer 6

If it has potential to move, like a lamp on a dresser can fall, it has potential energy.
if it is moving then it has kenetic energy.

rollercoaster.
at the top it has potential energy
as it is flying down it using kinetic energy.

(keep in mind that as it use kinetic energy it loses potential energy)
another example is a yoyo
as it is coming up or as it is in your hand, it has the potential to move and go down.
as it is coming up it is storing energy that is released as it comes down.

Answer 7

It does. Everything has potential energy. There are many types of potential energy but from a chemistry perspective there is the stored energy in the chemical bonds and in the nuclei of the atoms themselves.

Answer 8

"Potential energy is energy that is stored in an object. If you stretch a rubber band, you will give it potential energy. As the rubber band is released, potential energy is changed to motion.
Kinetic energy is energy of motion. A rubber band flying through the air has kinetic energy. "
http://www.usoe.k12.ut.us/CURR/Science/sciber00/8th/forces/sciber/potkin.htm