What is the relationship with kinetic energy and potential energy?

Answer 1

When the example of pendulum is considered, from the topic of simple harmonic motion (SHM) potential and kinetic energy becomes very important. Kinetic energy is the energy of an object due to its flow and potential energy is the energy of an object due to its height.
At various points in swinging pendulum following relation ship is used:
mgh = 1/2mv2
Where m= mass, h = height, g = gravitational constant and , v = velocity.

Answer 2

Very directly!

Consider the adage "what goes up must come down". If I lift a box into the air, I have to exert upward force on that box to overcome gravity and then keep that up for x-amount of meters until I now hold the box above my head.

The box, in this example, now has potential energy. If I drop the box, it will fall to the ground immediately. A falling box has kinetic energy.

So what's the point, here? Well what is energy? It's the ability to do work. We know that a falling box could do some work for us...like smash something apart below it...or we could attach it to a rope and pulley to pull another object.

So potential energy is energy a system has due to the way we have configured it. Whether it's lifting a box into the air or compressing a spring, it's the way we have arranged the system that gives it the energy...we put work into it and it's holding that work within itself.

Kinetic energy is what happens when this potential energy is converted into movement.

It's the same with springs (see Hooke's law).

Say you throw a ball to push a spring in. The kinetic energy in the ball now = the potential energy stored in the compressed spring. Then the spring bounces back with a kinetic energy = to the potential energy it had when it compressed.

Kinetic E --> Potential E --> Kinetic E

In this example (imagine the system is perfect, for simplicity), the extremes of Kinetic E and Potential E are the same value! Not only this but Potential E + Kinetic E = Constant in this system because one is directly converted into the other, the system doesn't gain any E or lose any E. That's important. In the end...it's all energy. The words "potential" and "kinetic" just provide you with information as to how that energy is being expressed.

Answer 3

They can easily be converted. If a ball has 25J of kinetic energy and goes up a slope, when it slows to a stop, it will have 25J of potential energy. (presuming there is no resistance)

Answer 4

Potential=mgh Kinetic=1/2 mgh, both are types of energy

Answer 5

potential is the stored energy and kinetic energy is the energy of movement.

Answer 6

potential energy=mgh

kinetic energy=1/2 mgh

Answer 7

They are both types of energy.