Potentia

l
Energy
Grade 8
Physics
 At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

OUTCOMES
LEARNING 1 define potential energy;
compute for the potential energy
2 of a given body; and
relate position and mass of the
3 object to the amount of energy
possessed by the object.
ENGAGE
Multiple Choice: Choose the letter of the best
answer.
What will happen to the kinetic energy of the object
1 if its velocity is doubled?
A. increased by two times
B. decreased by two times
C. increased by four times
D. decreased by four times
Multiple Choice: Choose the letter of the best
answer.
What is the correct formula for the kinetic energy
2 of a moving body?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Multiple Choice: Choose the letter of the best
answer.
How much kinetic energy is possessed by a ball
2 with a mass of 5 kg and a velocity of 4 m/s?
A. 10 J
B. 20 J
C. 30 J
D. 40 J
ENGAGE

An apple hanging at the top of the tree or a ball

resting at the top of a building: Which of the two
possesses the greater amount of potential energy?
ENGAGE

How do we measure the energy

stored in an object?
EXPLORE
 Now, let’s investigate
EXPLORE how energy is stored
in an object using the
Interactive.

Interactive
 Potential Energy
Lab
Design an experiment involving gravitational
potential energy.

Manipulative
EXPLAIN
 Data for Explore Activity
“Potential Energy”

EXPLAIN
Mass
Objec Height Potential Energy
(in
t (in meters) (in joules)
kg)
Point Point Point Point Point Point
B C D B C D
Box A 2 kg 3m 5m 10m 60 J 100 J 200 J
Box B 4 kg 3m 5m 10m 120 J 200 J 400 J
Box C 6 kg 3m 5m 10m 180 J 300 J 600 J
EXPLAIN Answers to Guide Questions
for Explore Activity
“Potential Energy”
EXPLAIN
1. Which box has the
greatest amount of
potential energy at Point
B?

Interactive
EXPLAIN 1. Which box has the greatest amount of
potential energy at Point B?

Box C

Interactive
EXPLAIN
2. Which box has the
greatest amount of
potential energy at Point
D?

Interactive
EXPLAIN 2. Which box has the greatest amount of
potential energy at Point D?

Box C

Interactive
EXPLAIN
3. For Box A, which point
will give the greatest
amount of potential
energy?

Interactive
EXPLAIN 3. For Box A, which point will give the
greatest amount of potential energy?

Point D

Interactive
EXPLAIN
4. For Box B, which point
will give the greatest
amount of potential
energy?

Interactive
EXPLAIN 4. For Box B, which point will give the
greatest amount of potential energy?

Point D

Interactive
EXPLAIN
5. What happens to the
potential energy of an
object if the mass is
increased?

Interactive
EXPLAIN 5. What happens to the potential energy of an
object if the mass is increased?

It also increases.

Interactive
EXPLAIN
6. What happens to the
potential energy of an
object if the height is
increased?

Interactive
EXPLAIN 6. What happens to the potential energy of an
object if the height is increased?

It also increases. 

Interactive
In the previous
lesson, you have
learned about
KINETIC
ENERGY, which is
the energy possessed
by the object in
motion.
This time, you will
learn the other form
of energy called the
POTENTIAL
ENERGY, or the
energy stored in an
object.
You have found out
that the box with the
greatest mass will
give the greatest
amount of potential
energy at a given
point.
You also discovered
that the highest point
will give the greatest
amount of potential
energy for a given
box.
Additionally, you
have found out that
as the mass of the
object increases, the
potential energy of
the object also
increases.
Likewise, as the
height at which the
object is placed
increases, the
potential energy of
the object also
increases.
The POTENTIAL
ENERGY that you
investigated is called
gravitational potential
energy.
GRAVITATIONAL
POTENTIAL ENERGY
is the energy an object
possesses at a given
height, above a particular
zero reference point.
In equation form,
Similar to kinetic
energy, the unit used for
potential energy is 
which is equal to 1
Newton-meter (Nm) or
1 Joule (J).
Sample Problem:
Compute for the potential
energy of a 5-kg basket lifted
to a height of 10 m above the
ground?
Sample Problem:
Compute for the potential energy of a 5-kg basket lifted
to a height of 10 m above the ground?
Given: Equation:

Solution:

Required to find: Answer:

Sample Problem:
A box that was lifted to a height of
50 m above the ground was recorded
to have a potential energy of 12,250
J. What is the mass of the box?
Sample Problem:
A box that was lifted to a height of 50 m above the ground was
recorded to have a potential energy of 12,250 J. What is the mass
of the box?
Given: Equation:

Solution:

Answer:
Required to find:
ELABORA
ELABORAT
E Elastic
Potential Energy
Elastic potential energy is
another form of potential
energy. It is the energy stored
as a result of stretching or
compressing an elastic object,
such as a spring.
ELABORAT
E Elastic
Potential Energy
The amount of the elastic
potential energy is equal to the
work done to stretch the
spring, which is dependent on
the spring constant k as well as
the distance x on which the
spring has been stretched.
ELABORAT
E
Elastic
Potential Energy

In equation,
ELABORAT
E Elastic
Potential Energy
Several objects are designed to
store elastic potential energy.
Such includes the coil spring
of a wind-up clock, an archer’s
stretched bow, and even the
twisted rubber band that
powers a toy boat.
ELABORAT
E Conservation
of Energy
The motion of a pendulum is
an example of conservation of
energy. A pendulum consists
of a mass, also known as bob,
attached by a string to a pivot
point.
ELABORAT
E Conservation
of Energy
As the pendulum bob swings
back and forth, potential
energy and kinetic energy are
being exchanged. The
pendulum bob has maximum
potential energy and zero
kinetic energy at the highest
point on one side.
ELABORAT
E
Conservation
of Energy
As the pendulum bob swings
down, it loses potential energy
and gains kinetic energy.
ELABORAT
E Conservation
of Energy
The pendulum bob has
maximum kinetic energy at its
lowest position where all the
potential energy has been
converted to kinetic energy.
ELABORAT
E Conservation
of Energy
Further, when it swings back
to the other side, all its kinetic
energy changes back to
potential energy. The total
mechanical energy of the
pendulum bob (kinetic and
potential) is conserved
throughout.
EVALUAT
Multiple Choice: Choose the letter of the best
answer.
What will happen to the gravitational potential
1 energy of the object if its mass is doubled?
A. increases twice
B. decreases by half
C. increases four times
D. decreases four times
Multiple Choice: Choose the letter of the best
answer.
What will happen to the gravitational potential
2 energy of the object if the height where it is placed
is reduced by a factor of two?
A. increases twice
B. decreases by half
C. increases four times
D. decreases four times
Multiple Choice: Choose the letter of the best
answer.
A 5-kg object was lifted to a height of 30 m with
3 respect to the ground. What is the gravitational
potential energy of the object relative to the
ground?
A. 1,470 J
B. 2,598 J
C. 3,150 J
D. 4,250 J
Multiple Choice: Choose the letter of the best
answer.
How much potential energy is possessed by a 2-kg
4 ball lifted to a height 5 m above the ground?
A. 48 J
B. 58 J
C. 78 J
D. 98 J
Multiple Choice: Choose the letter of the best
answer.
What is the mass of a basket lifted to a height of 15 m
5 above the ground which has a potential energy of
1,029 J?
A. 5 kg
B. 6 kg
C. 7 kg
D. 8 kg
Determine if the given statement is TRUE or
FALSE.

6 Energy stored in an object is also known as kinetic

energy.
Determine if the given statement is TRUE or
FALSE.
Potential energy for an object is greatest at its
7 maximum height.
Determine if the given statement is TRUE or
FALSE.
The change in gravitational potential energy of an
8 object is equal to the work done in lifting that object
from the zero reference point.
Determine if the given statement is TRUE or
FALSE.
Carl exerted a force of 600 N to lift a box from the
9 ground and put it on the table. If the height of the
table is 1 meter, the potential energy of the box is
600 J.
Determine if the given statement is TRUE or
FALSE.
A box of steel and a box of cotton each have a mass
10 of 1 kg. Both boxes are resting on the same table
and have the same elevation from the ground. The
box of steel has a greater potential energy than the
box of cotton.