Search for Science Fair Projects

1000 Science Fair Projects with Complete Instructions

Potential Energy

Potential energy is stored energy an object has because of its position, height, or arrangement.

Think of it this way

A glass of water sits on a high shelf. The water and glass have stored energy because of their height above the floor. If the glass falls, that stored energy turns into movement. The higher the shelf, the more stored energy the glass holds.

Explaining potential energy by grade level

Hold a ball up high. It has energy waiting inside it because of how high it is. That stored energy is called potential energy. Drop the ball. The stored energy changes to moving energy. The higher you hold it, the more energy it stores. A heavier ball stores more energy too.

Projects that explore potential energy

Height, Weight, and Potential Energy

Stored energy from position depends on both weight and height. When you drop objects of different weights onto a flat can, the heavier ones make bigger dents — they hold more stored energy from the same height. Rolling marbles down ramps shows the same pattern: raise the ramp and the marble hits harder on impact. More height means more stored energy released when the object falls. These hands-on activities confirm that both weight and height affect how much energy an object holds before it moves.

Medium