Energy that is stored.

• A. Potential Energy
• B. Kinetic Energy
• C. Thermal Energy
• D. Chemical Energy

Answer: (A)

Stored energy means energy that has the potential to do work in the future, because of where something is or how it’s arranged rather than because it’s moving right now. That idea is captured by potential energy. For example, a book resting on a shelf has gravitational potential energy, a drawn bow holds elastic potential energy, and fuels or foods contain chemical energy that can be released when bonds are broken. In contrast, kinetic energy is the energy of motion, so it isn’t stored. Thermal energy comes from the random motion and vibration of particles and is related to temperature, not stored energy in a static sense. So when the prompt asks for energy that is stored, the best term is potential energy.