Is it Potential or Kinetic Energy worksheet - Free Printable

Let's go through each image and determine whether it illustrates Kinetic Energy or Potential Energy, with explanations.

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🔹 Kinetic Energy = energy of motion

🔹 Potential Energy = stored energy (due to position, state, or configuration)

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1. 🎾 Tennis ball being hit by a racket

- Answer: Kinetic
- Why? The ball is in motion — kinetic energy.

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2. 💡 Gas pump (fuel)

- Answer: Potential
- Why? Fuel stores chemical energy that can be released later — potential energy.

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3. 🍔 Hamburger

- Answer: Potential
- Why? Food contains chemical energy stored in its molecules — potential energy.

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4. 👧👦 Children playing with a ball (in mid-air)

- Answer: Kinetic
- Why? The ball is moving — kinetic energy.

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5. ⛏️ Coal

- Answer: Potential
- Why? Coal has stored chemical energy that can be released when burned — potential energy.

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6. 🏹 Bow and arrow (drawn back)

- Answer: Potential
- Why? The stretched bow stores elastic potential energy.

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7. 🔋 Battery

- Answer: Potential
- Why? A battery stores chemical energy that can be converted into electrical energy — potential energy.

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8. 🎈 Inflated balloon with "Energy" label

- Answer: Potential
- Why? The stretched rubber and compressed air store elastic potential energy.

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9. 👩‍🦰 Person holding a ball on a high platform

- Answer: Potential
- Why? The ball is raised above the ground — gravitational potential energy.

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10. 🚴‍♂️ Cyclists going up and down a hill

- Answer: Both Kinetic and Potential — but here we are choosing one.
- Top cyclist: Potential (high elevation)
- Middle and bottom: Kinetic (moving)
- But since the image shows motion and change, the dominant idea is Kinetic due to movement.
- Answer: Kinetic
- Why? The cyclists are in motion — kinetic energy.

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11. 🪫 Stretched Spring

- Answer: Potential
- Why? The spring stores elastic potential energy when stretched.

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12. 👵 Woman lifting a pole (raised object)

- Answer: Potential
- Why? The object is raised against gravity — gravitational potential energy.

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13. 🎈 Balloon (not inflated, just floating?)

- Wait — this looks like a normal balloon, not stretched or moving.
- If it’s just sitting there, it might have potential energy if it's about to pop or float up.
- But usually, a balloon at rest is potential (if it’s full of gas and ready to rise).
- However, if it's floating upward, it's kinetic.
- But here, it's just shown as a balloon, no motion indicated.
- Answer: Potential
- Why? It has stored energy from the air pressure inside (elastic potential), or it's ready to move upward — potential energy.

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14. 💣 Dynamite

- Answer: Potential
- Why? Chemical energy stored in explosives — potential energy.

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15. 👧 Girl dropping a ball (with arrows showing fall)

- Answer: Kinetic
- Why? The ball is falling — it's in motion → kinetic energy.
- (Even though it had potential energy before, during fall it's kinetic.)

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16. 🧓 Man pushing a cart downhill

- Answer: Kinetic
- Why? The man and cart are in motion — kinetic energy.

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✔ Final Answers:

| Image | Energy Type |
|------|-------------|
| 1. Tennis ball hit | Kinetic |
| 2. Gas pump | Potential |
| 3. Hamburger | Potential |
| 4. Kids playing ball | Kinetic |
| 5. Coal | Potential |
| 6. Bow and arrow (drawn) | Potential |
| 7. Battery | Potential |
| 8. Inflated balloon | Potential |
| 9. Person holding ball on ledge | Potential |
| 10. Cyclists on hill | Kinetic |
| 11. Stretched spring | Potential |
| 12. Raised object | Potential |
| 13. Balloon | Potential |
| 14. Dynamite | Potential |
| 15. Ball falling | Kinetic |
| 16. Man pushing cart | Kinetic |

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🟩 Summary:

- Kinetic Energy: 1, 4, 10, 15, 16
- Potential Energy: 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14

✔ This worksheet helps distinguish between stored energy (potential) and energy of motion (kinetic). Great practice!