{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.potential-energy","code":"thing-q155640","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q155640/","name":"potential energy","alternateNames":["gravitational binding energy","binding energy","electric potential energy","nuclear potential energy","animal power","gravitational energy","tension energy","chemical energy","elastic energy","quantum chromodynamics binding energy","bond energy","dissociation energy"],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.2","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Cross-cutting context","entryKind":"thing","plane":"XCT","domain":["XCT.QLT"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"The energy stored in a system by virtue of its position, configuration or state, such as gravitational potential energy of a raised mass, elastic potential energy of a stretched spring, electric potential energy of charges, chemical potential energy in bonds and nuclear binding energy, convertible to kinetic and other forms; potential energy is defined relative to a reference and is central to mechanics, thermodynamics and engineering.","purpose":"Let an agent explain potential energy and its kinds, compute potential energy in problems, relate it to conservation of energy, and describe applications from energy storage to binding energy.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Stored energy","Reference-dependent","Convertible","Many forms"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"define","name":"Define","description":"What potential energy is.","layers":[{"id":"definition","name":"Definition","description":"Definition and reference.","findings":[{"id":"definition-finding","name":"Definition","description":"Definition.","questions":[{"text":"What is potential energy, why is it defined relative to a reference, and how does it relate to conservative forces?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which forms of potential energy exist?","kind":"definition"}]}]},{"id":"kinds","name":"Kinds","description":"Forms.","findings":[{"id":"kinds-finding","name":"Kinds","description":"Forms.","questions":[{"text":"How do gravitational, elastic, electric, chemical and nuclear potential energy differ?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"What is binding energy?","kind":"definition"}]}]}]},{"id":"compute","name":"Compute","description":"Calculations.","layers":[{"id":"problems","name":"Problems","description":"Solving problems.","findings":[{"id":"problems-finding","name":"Problems","description":"Problems.","questions":[{"text":"What is the potential energy in this situation, and how is energy conserved as it converts to kinetic energy?","kind":"action"},{"text":"How is gravitational potential energy computed near Earth and at large distances?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"fields","name":"Fields","description":"Potential and fields.","findings":[{"id":"fields-finding","name":"Fields","description":"Fields.","questions":[{"text":"How do potential energy and potential relate to force fields?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"What are gravitational binding energy and electric potential energy of a configuration?","kind":"definition"}]}]}]},{"id":"apply","name":"Apply","description":"Applications.","layers":[{"id":"storage","name":"Storage","description":"Energy storage.","findings":[{"id":"storage-finding","name":"Storage","description":"Storage.","questions":[{"text":"How is potential energy used in pumped hydro, springs, batteries and other storage?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits energy storage?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"safety","name":"Safety","description":"Stored energy hazards.","findings":[{"id":"safety-finding","name":"Safety","description":"Safety.","questions":[{"text":"Which hazards arise from stored energy in heights, springs and pressure, and how are they controlled?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is there a hazard now?","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"learn","name":"Learn","description":"Teaching and history.","layers":[{"id":"teach","name":"Teach","description":"Teaching potential energy.","findings":[{"id":"teach-finding","name":"Teach","description":"Teaching.","questions":[{"text":"How can potential energy be taught with experiments and energy diagrams?","kind":"action"},{"text":"Which misconceptions arise?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"history","name":"History","description":"History.","findings":[{"id":"history-finding","name":"History","description":"History.","questions":[{"text":"How did the concept of potential energy develop, from Rankine to modern physics?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which references are standard?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Calculate and explain potential energy, stating the reference level and sign convention used.","Point out where stored energy in springs, raised loads or charged parts creates a hazard."],"mustNot":["Mix reference levels or sign conventions in one calculation.","Release stored energy in a spring, suspended load or pressurised system it controls without making the area safe.","Advise someone to work on equipment holding stored energy without isolating it first.","Present a relative value of potential energy as absolute."],"requiresHuman":["Releasing large stored energy, such as lowering a heavy load or discharging a capacitor bank near people."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Unexpected release of stored energy injures maintenance workers.","Clear teaching of the concept supports safe engineering and energy literacy."],"affectedParties":["Maintenance workers","Students","People near raised loads"]},"owners":{"steward":"Nobody: a physical concept held in common.","roles":[],"masterSystems":[]},"relations":[{"target":"Q107715","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"Q184550","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"mechanical energy","type":"related","note":"category"},{"target":"physical quantity","type":"related","note":"category"},{"target":"acceleration","type":"related","note":"motion under forces"},{"target":"nuclear fission","type":"related","note":"binding energy release"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.potential-energy","Wikidata: Q155640 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155640)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"not-applicable","items":[]},"recognition":{"applicability":"optional","items":["Energy of position or configuration","Relative to a reference","Kinetic energy is energy of motion","Not physical; a quantity of a system."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["explain kinds of potential energy","compute potential energy","relate to energy conservation","describe applications"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Confusing absolute and relative potential energy","Sign errors","Hazards of stored energy in springs and heights"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["SI units of energy","Engineering standards for energy storage"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Stored energy of position or state.","gravitational potential energy","elastic potential energy","electric potential energy","chemical potential energy","nuclear potential and binding energy"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Wikidata item Q155640: potential energy","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155640","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Potential energy","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potential_energy","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Should each form be a separate entry?","How should physics resources be linked?","How should energy storage technologies be linked?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q155640/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q155640/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-11T23:30:49Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"not-applicable","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-06T19:51:54+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass","interaction.properties":"Plane XCT: no invented physical properties."},"score":1.0}}