Potential energy is a type of energy that an object possesses due to its position relative to other objects, stresses within itself, its electric charge, or other factors. It is the energy that is stored in an object due to its position or condition. Potential energy is a property of a system and not of an individual body or particle. The term potential energy was introduced by the 19th-century Scottish engineer and physicist William Rankine.

Potential energy comes in many forms, such as gravitational potential energy, elastic potential energy, magnetic potential energy, and electric potential energy. Gravitational potential energy is the energy stored in an object as the result of its vertical position or height. Elastic potential energy is the energy stored in a stretched or compressed spring. Magnetic potential energy is due to a magnetic objects position in a magnetic field. Electric potential energy is due to the size of an electric charge and its position in an electric field.

The more formal definition of potential energy is that it is the energy difference between the energy of an object in a given position and its energy at a reference position. Potential energy is often associated with restoring forces such as a spring or the force of gravity. The action of stretching a spring or lifting a mass is performed by an external force that works against the force field of the potential. This work is stored in the force field, which is said to be stored as potential energy.

To summarize, potential energy is the energy that is stored in an object due to its position relative to some zero position. It is not a force, but it can be converted into kinetic energy, which is energy of motion, when the object is released.