Question

kinetic energy
whenever an object is moving, it has the ability to do work. for instance, imagine a baseball bat being swung through the air. if a bat hits a ball, the ball will move.
the swinging bat has the ability to apply a force on another object and move that object in the direction of the force. this is known as doing work on the object. because every moving object has the ability to do work, every moving object has kinetic energy. kinetic energy is the energy associated with motion.

1. this archer has pulled back the string and flexed the bow in order to launch an arrow. the flexed bow has potential / kinetic energy. the energy in the bow is due to its motion / condition. when the string is released, work will be done on the bow / arrow.

potential energy
an object does not need to be moving to have the ability to do work. imagine a stretched rubber band. you could shoot that rubber band across the room or release it to move another object. the rubber band has the ability to do work because it has been stretched, not because it is moving. potential energy is the energy an object has because of its position, condition, or chemical composition. the stretched condition of the rubber band gives it the ability to do work when it is released and its potential energy is transformed to kinetic energy. likewise, imagine placing a ball at the top of a ramp. because of the ball’s position, it now has the potential to do work when it is released and its potential energy is transformed to kinetic energy.

Explanation:

Step1: Define potential energy

Potential energy is energy due to position, condition, or composition.

Step2: Analyze the bow - string system

The bow is flexed (condition), storing energy.

Step3: Determine the object on which work is done

When the string is released, the bow acts on the arrow to make it move.

Answer:

The flexed bow has potential energy. The energy in the bow is due to its condition. When the string is released, work will be done on the arrow.