Teaching Children About The Six Kinds Of Potential Energy

Your son or daughter comes home from school withcomposed of molecules, which are composed of
questions about the different kinds of potential energy,atoms, which are composed of protons, neutrons, and
or energy that is stored. It can be quite confusing sinceelectrons for practical purposes. Electrons are in
some examples are not stationary on a molecularconstant motion circling the protons and neutrons in the
level. Some types are actually potential and kineticnucleus. The motion of electrons is involved with
(energy of motion) simultaneously, like heat or chemical.chemical bonds creating molecules. During a chemical
You can explain the differences between the six kindsreaction this energy gets stored. Our cells need the
of potential energy to your child using commonchemical energy stored in the foods that we eat in
examples.order to function properly. Digestion is a slow process
Potential energy, or the energy of position, is storedthat breaks down the food we eat, releasing energy
energy. That is, it has the capacity to do work or tofor the body's use. The energy from foods becomes
move something in a scientific sense. There are manyheat, carbon dioxide and water. Food packages list the
types of potential energy including gravitational potential,number of Calories in the product. One Calorie of food
electrical, chemical, thermal, magnetic, and elastic.energy is 4180 Joules.
Six Kinds of Potential Energy #1- When an objectSix Kinds of Potential Energy #4- Thermal or heat
such as a ball is on the slope of a hill, it has gravitationalenergy is in all matter. Even something that feels cold
potential energy based upon its height from the bottomlike an ice cube still has heat. The molecules of all
of the hill, its mass, and the gravitational constant, g,matter moves even as part of a solid. As long as the
which on Earth is 9.8m/s2. The gravitational constant istemperature of a material is above absolute zero,
a form of acceleration. The higher an object is abovewhich is -459 degrees Fahrenheit, it has heat. This type
the Earth’s surface, the more it will accelerate as itof heat is still considered stored since it does not
falls until it reaches terminal velocity (or the fastestinvolve motion that we can see.
speed at which it will fall). If a ball with the mass of 10Six Kinds of Potential Energy #5- Magnetic energy is
kilograms is 100 meters above the Earth’s surface,also related to the atoms in an object. A magnet has
its gravitational potential energy will be the product ofextremely large groups of atoms lined up, in which one
mass, gravitational constant, and height; or (10 kg) (9.8side of the group becomes the north pole of the
m/s2) (100m), which is 9800 kgm2/s2 or 9800magnet and the other side becomes the south pole.
Newton-meters or 9800 Joules. A Joule, which rhymesThe magnetic field, or the space around a magnet
with rule, is the metric unit for energy. A ball’swhere the magnetic force is exerted, is created by
potential energy changes to kinetic as it rolls or fallsspinning and orbiting electrons. Most materials are not
downhill.magnetic because the atoms' magnetic fields do not
Six Kinds of Potential Energy #2- Electrical energy isline up. Iron atoms produce the strongest magnetic field
stored in a battery in the chemical elements thetherefore lots of magnets contain iron. Magnets are in
battery contains. One battery terminal has an elementelectric motors and exert forces that affect the
that allows electrons to flow from it while the otherelectrical current in wires. This led to the development
terminal has an element that readily accepts electrons.of electric power, radio, and television.
A battery eventually stops working because theSix Kinds of Potential Energy #6- Elastic energy is the
chemicals get used up. Static electricity involvesinternal energy of a fluid or a solid that can be
objects like a balloon or the family's pet cat that haveconverted into mechanical energy to do work. A
extra electrons, especially in dry weather. If you rub abouncing ball, a spring, a trampoline's webbing, and a
balloon on your hair and stick it to the wall, that's usinghydraulic piston all have elastic energy. The ball, spring,
static electricity. When you pet the cat on a dry day,and trampoline all are solids that can store energy. The
you may hear a crackling sound or see tiny sparkspiston contains either compressed air or another fluid
which is also static electricity.such as the brake fluid in automobile brakes that store
Six Kinds of Potential Energy #3- Chemical energy isenergy.
trapped in chemical bonds. It is the component of theBy using common the examples above, you can easily
energy that can be released when molecules interactexplain the different kinds of potential energy to your
during a chemical reaction. It includes fossil fuels likechildren.
coal, oil, natural gas and wood. Chemicals are