Potential energy is the stored or pent-up energy of an object. It is often contrasted with kinetic energy.

In physics, potential energy is the energy which an object has due to its position in a force field or which a system has due to the way its parts are arranged. Common types include the gravitational potential energy of an object that depends on its vertical position and mass, the elastic potential energy of an extended spring, and the electric potential energy of a charge in an electric field. The SI unit for energy is the joule (symbol J).