Question

What is the difference between potential an kinetic energy? How does gravity affect potential energy?

Answer 1

This is the answer according to classical physics. I assume that that is the correct level to begin with.

Kinetic energy is the energy a body has due to its motion and mass. The kinetic energy of a mass m moving with speed is 1/2mv^2.

Potential energy is most often associated with gravitational energy. When the apple is still hanging on the tree, it has the potential to move, in this case to fall to the ground as gravity is pulling it towards the earth and the earth towards it. Hence, the famous and probably untrue story that Newton had his big idea about gravity when such an apple fell on his head in his garden.

Newton's equation for gravity is probably a bit much for right now but we can say that an apple of mass m that is suspended at height h above the ground has potential energy given my mgh where g is 9.8m/s/s (the acceleration of a body due to gravity).

There are other commons forms of potential energy: the energy stored in a coiled spring or in a bow as potential energy, is latent energy that is yet to be released into movement or kinetic energy. The energy stored in a battery is another type of potential, as is the chemical energy stored in something that can burn releasing heat energy.

Is that what you wanted?

Answer 2

I think, the main concept are kinetic energy of I say a particle is energy because its move and potential energy is the the other energy because of surrounding that can affect a force to the particle