Potential Energy EXPLAINED in 5 Levels: What Level Are YOU? Beginner - Advanced Classical (Parth G)

What is Potential Energy? And how can we understand the various different types of potential energy? We'll be answering these questions in this video, in 5 levels of difficulty!

Level 1 - Potential energy, in terms of a worded definition, can be thought of in two ways: (1) the energy as a result of how objects are arranged relative to each other and the forces they exert on each other, and (2) the energy stored in a system that can later be converted to another type of energy (e.g. kinetic energy). We look at the definitions of gravitational potential energy and elastic potential energy, and see how these relate to our two general definitions of potential energy.

Level 2 - The formula for gravitational potential energy depends on the mass of our objects, its height above the ground, and the gravitational field strength of the Earth. The elastic potential energy for a spring system depends on the extension of the spring, and its spring constant. In this part we see how to calculate these different potential energies numerically rather than just describing them with words.

Level 3 - The point in space at which an object has zero potential energy is not uniquely defined. In other words, we can CHOOSE the most convenient point where we say our system has zero potential energy. This is because potential energy is just a theoretical concept, and we see how this applies to gravitational potential energy. Once we choose our zero point however, we need to make sure we stick to it in the rest of our calculation, in order for the Law of Conservation of Energy to hold and be properly calculated.

Level 4 - We look at where our potential energy equations come from in the first place, the work done on our object / system against the force relevant to the potential energy (or equivalently the work done by our force on our object when converting stored potential energy to other kinds of energy). We also see the basic equation for work done (force x distance) is just a simplification, and we look at the full integral version - the work done on an object is the integral of the force exerted on it with respect to position. The integral is a definite integral, with the limits being the start and end position of the object we're studying. In other words, the path our object takes between the start and end points does not matter - the change in its potential energy is the same if the start and end points are the same. This is because the forces we are dealing with are conservative forces.

Level 5 - we look at conservative forces (where the work they do is independent of the path taken by our object). These are the forces that have an associated potential energy defined. Whereas non-conservative forces do not have a defined potential energy. Generally, non-conservative forces tend to be our simplified view of more complex forces. For example, friction is non-conservative, dissipating lots of heat and is dependent on the path taken by our object. But in reality friction is just a simplified look at the electrostatic interaction between two objects.

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Timestamps:
0:00 - Potential Energy in 5 Levels of Difficulty
0:33 - Level 1 - What is Potential Energy? 2 Definitions and 2 Examples
4:31 - Sponsor Message - Check out the Link to Curiosity Box in the Description Below!
6:06 - Level 2 - How to Calculate Gravitational and Elastic Potential Energy
10:24 - Level 3 - We Can Choose Where the Zero Potential Energy Point Is!
11:57 - Level 4 - Explaining These Equations: Forces, Work, and Integrals
15:11 - Level 5 - Conservative Forces, Path-Independent Energy, Non-Conservative Forces
16:36 - More Levels of Potential Energy? Does it Get Problematic?

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[ParthGChannel]

Hey everyone! Thank you so much for watching, please check out my channel for more fun physics content. Also wanted to say a big thanks to the sponsors of this video - check out Curiosity box at www.curiositybox.com/Parth
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[fritt_wastaken]

Full description of PE would take like 10 more levels.
It's sad that these 5 are basically all we need for practical purposes, so teachers never bother to explain it further

[unaimendizaballekuona]

Really looking forward to the video about the discussion of PE as a theoretical tool!

[Lukasek_Grubasek]

I can't believe that content of this high quality is available for free. Thank you for making your videos!

[ItsDeveshA]

Hey Parth, just a Word of Motivation for you-"Love Your Videos and they are the Ones that add just perfect amount of Extra Knowledge which acts as Topping for my Science Studies and Probable Future-so keep Creating these Great Video✌🏻🖖🏻"
(Hope you Find this Comment and it Keeps You Motivated!)

[faiyazkhan]

I am a highschool student preparing for JEE ADVANCE exam for engeenering in INDIA ..and your videos are quit really helpfull to me ...what my teacher told to me i connect to you and boom the clearest picture of that topic has been saved to my brain ..😁😁

[lukebennett]

Do a block sliding down an inclined plane, I’ve seen something similar but feel you could do better. It could start with a simplified Newtonian description for example an then build up progressively to something like the Hamiltonian. Would be a fun way to see how such a simple system can be analysed from basic to complex methods.

[ErikBongers]

So far the best explanation of potential energy as a concept, but still not satisfying.
If I'm standing on a mountain, I have some potential energy. If I'm standing in the valley, I no longer have this energy...but if someone starts digging a hole in front of me... I'm gaining potential energy???
To be fair (and that's why your explanation is the best so far), you did mention that potential energy is not really stored in the object.
But clearly, potential energy is situational, virtual, and therefor not real.
Why doesn't anyone explain that???

[jlpsinde]

Great as always. Please do one more video about this!

[randymartin]

Have to say, love this so much better than the other channel's who do this with kids. Instant subscribe! Very succinct and engaging explanations!

[akhileshr]

Your videos are really really good! I love the way you explain concepts, keeping it simple and nice! Looking forward to the video about the PE!

[DrDeuteron]

level X question: you explained conservative forces doing work as the gradient of a scalar potential, but what about forces that don't do work but are the cross product of velocity with a curl of a vector potential (Magnetism, Coriolis)? What is a "vector" potential anyway. Why so many cross products?

[betatester]

I would love another video on this fascinating topic!

[tfs]

WOW! Really wonderful. Would love to watch the further levels of it. As far as I guess, I know things till level 6. But what's 7 (or beyond), would love to watch.

[youssefbenmoussa]

Hello Parth. I really like your videos. I would really love to see a video of entropy explained in 5 different levels.

[marcosfreijeiro]

Love to see more of this. So so good, excellent content

[luispatriciosileriomercado]

Amazing, you should make more videos of basics physics but going deeper

[animationbyparitosh]

Loved the video 🤗

Try to make on electric potential energy, also electromagnetic waves.

[ahmedrafea]

A very interesting and informative video, indeed. Thanks very much, well done again. Taking PE theoretically to a further level is well worth it. So, go for it please for the sake of many of your viewers.

[Sparky-vjdq]

Great as always. I was slightly surprised that in the examples of PE you stayed entirely within abstract examples when there is a very relatable practical one - hydro-electric power stations especially ones like the site in Wales where they use off-peak electrical energy to pump the water to a mountain-top reservoir storing GPE then releasing ir on demand through the turbines to get "new" electrical energy as the GPE is converted in the fall back to a lower level. Losses ignored of course.