Potential energy

Potential energy
Potential Po*ten"tial, a. [Cf. F. potentiel. See {Potency}.] 1. Being potent; endowed with energy adequate to a result; efficacious; influential. [Obs.] ``And hath in his effect a voice potential.'' --Shak. [1913 Webster]

2. Existing in possibility, not in actuality. ``A potential hero.'' --Carlyle. [1913 Webster]

Potential existence means merely that the thing may be at ome time; actual existence, that it now is. --Sir W. Hamilton. [1913 Webster]

{Potential cautery}. See under {Cautery}.

{Potential energy}. (Mech.) See the Note under {Energy}.

{Potential mood}, or {Potential mode} (Gram.), that form of the verb which is used to express possibility, liberty, power, will, obligation, or necessity, by the use of may, can, must, might, could, would, or should; as, I may go; he can write. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Potential Energy —   Energy available due to position …   Energy terms

  • potential energy — n the energy that a piece of matter has because of its position or because of the arrangement of parts * * * the energy that a body has due to its position, equal to the work required to move the body to that position from some reference… …   Medical dictionary

  • potential energy — ► NOUN Physics ▪ energy possessed by a body by virtue of its position or state. Compare with KINETIC ENERGY(Cf. ↑kinetic energy) …   English terms dictionary

  • potential energy — n. energy that is the result of relative position or structure instead of motion, as in a compressed spring …   English World dictionary

  • Potential energy — This article is about a form of energy in physics. For the statistical method, see Potential energy statistics. Classical mechanics Newton s Second Law …   Wikipedia

  • potential energy — Physics. the energy of a body or a system with respect to the position of the body or the arrangement of the particles of the system. Cf. kinetic energy. [1850 55] * * * Energy stored by an object by virtue of its position. For example, an object …   Universalium

  • potential energy — the energy stored in a raised object (e.g. the weights in a grandfather clock). Potential energy equals mgh, where m is mass, g is the acceleration of gravity, and h is the vertical distance from a reference location. It is called potential… …   Mechanics glossary

  • potential energy — noun the mechanical energy that a body has by virtue of its position; stored energy (Freq. 5) • Syn: ↑P.E. • Hypernyms: ↑mechanical energy • Hyponyms: ↑elastic energy, ↑elastic potential energy …   Useful english dictionary

  • potential energy — po,tential energy noun uncount SCIENCE the energy that a body or system has stored because of its position or condition. For example, a raised weight has potential energy …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • potential energy — UK / US noun [uncountable] physics the energy that a body or system has stored because of its position or condition. For example, a raised weight has potential energy …   English dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”