Potential Energy

• A. The energy of motion
• B. Energy from chemical reactions
• C. Stored energy due to position or condition.
• D. Energy of light traveling in waves.

Answer: (C)

Potential energy is energy stored because of where something is or how it’s arranged. It sits unused until it can be released and turned into other forms, like motion or heat. Examples include a rock held high above the ground, which has gravitational potential energy, or a stretched spring, which stores elastic potential energy. The idea extends to chemical bonds as well—molecules hold energy in the arrangement of atoms, ready to be released during a reaction.

This choice mirrors that broad idea: energy stored due to position or condition. It captures the general sense of potential energy more than descriptions of energy in motion (kinetic energy) or radiant energy carried by light. While chemical energy is indeed a form of stored energy in bonds, the statement about it emphasizes the source rather than the stored-state concept itself, so the stored-by-position-or-condition description is the most direct fit for potential energy.