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Introduction

It is true that all you need to do in order to make an object move is apply enough force to it. If it moves, you have just done work. Work is described as the force required to move an object multiplied by the distance the object travelled, work = force x distance. The ability to do that work is called energy. There are 2 types of energy related to motion: potential and kinetic. Potential energy is stored energy. That stored energy can be released at a later time in the form of kinetic energy. Take for example a roller coaster. As the coaster is pulled up the first high hill, it stores more and more potential energy. As it goes down the hill, the potential energy is released as kinetic energy. If you raise a box into the air, it gains potential energy as you lift it higher. That energy is converted to kinetic energy when you drop the box.
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