Practice Potential Energy in Physics

Use these practice problems to test your method after reviewing the concept explanation and worked examples.

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Quick Recap

Energy stored in a system due to the position or configuration of its parts, ready to be converted into kinetic or other forms of energy.

Energy waiting to be released—like a stretched rubber band or a ball held high.

Showing a random 20 of 50 problems.

Example 1

medium
A 0.4 kg0.4 \text{ kg} ball is at the top of a 1.25 m1.25 \text{ m} frictionless ramp (g=9.8g = 9.8). All PE converts to KE at the bottom. Find the speed there.

Example 2

medium
A 0.3 kg0.3 \text{ kg} ball on a compressed spring (k=800 N/mk = 800 \text{ N/m}, compressed 0.15 m0.15 \text{ m}) is released. What speed does the ball reach?

Example 3

medium
A pendulum bob of mass 0.25 kg0.25 \text{ kg} is pulled aside so it is 0.40 m0.40 \text{ m} higher than at the lowest point (g=9.8g = 9.8). Find its KE at the lowest point (frictionless, started from rest).

Example 4

medium
A 0.3 kg ball at the top of a 2 m ramp rolls down (g = 9.8). How much PE converts to KE at the bottom (frictionless)?

Example 5

challenge
A 0.20 kg0.20 \text{ kg} mass on a vertical spring (k=50 N/mk = 50 \text{ N/m}) hangs at rest. The natural length is the reference. Find the mass's equilibrium stretch and the elastic PE there (g=9.8g = 9.8).

Example 6

easy
A 0.5 kg0.5 \text{ kg} apple sits on a shelf 2 m2 \text{ m} above the floor. Using g=9.8 m/s2g = 9.8 \text{ m/s}^2 and the floor as the zero level, find its gravitational PE.

Example 7

medium
A 5 kg box is moved up a frictionless 10 m ramp inclined so its top is 3 m high (g = 9.8). What is its PE change?

Example 8

easy
Can gravitational potential energy be negative?

Example 9

easy
A spring with k=400 N/mk = 400 \text{ N/m} is compressed 0.10 m0.10 \text{ m}. Find the stored elastic PE.

Example 10

medium
Two springs in parallel (k1=150 N/mk_1 = 150 \text{ N/m}, k2=250 N/mk_2 = 250 \text{ N/m}) are each compressed 0.10 m0.10 \text{ m} together. Find the total stored elastic PE.

Example 11

easy
A 1 kg object sits 5 m above the floor (g = 9.8). What is its gravitational PE relative to the floor?

Example 12

easy
A bungee cord has an effective spring constant k=100 N/mk = 100 \text{ N/m}. If it stretches 3 m3 \text{ m} beyond its natural length, how much elastic potential energy is stored?

Example 13

challenge
A 2 kg pendulum bob is raised so its PE increases by 9.8 J (g = 9.8). It is released; ignoring friction, find its speed at the lowest point.

Example 14

medium
A 0.50 kg0.50 \text{ kg} mass dropped from 2 m2 \text{ m} lands on a spring (k=200 N/mk = 200 \text{ N/m}) and compresses it by xx. Ignoring spring height vs. drop, find xx at the instant of maximum compression. Use g=9.8g = 9.8.

Example 15

medium
How much elastic PE is stored if a spring's deformation triples from x to 3x (k fixed)?

Example 16

hard
A 3 kg3 \text{ kg} object slides down a 4 m4 \text{ m} ramp inclined 30°30° (g=9.8g = 9.8). Friction does 20 J20 \text{ J} of negative work. Find the object's KE at the bottom.

Example 17

medium
A 0.8 kg0.8 \text{ kg} ball at 5 m5 \text{ m} is released and lands on the floor (g=9.8g = 9.8). How much PE was converted to KE just before impact (frictionless)?

Example 18

medium
A 4 kg object's gravitational PE doubles from 78.4 J as it is raised higher (g = 9.8). Find the new height.

Example 19

easy
What SI unit measures potential energy?

Example 20

medium
A spring stores 8 J of elastic PE at x = 0.4 m. Find its spring constant k.
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