(a) Potential energy is the energy possessed by a body by virtue of its position in a field or due to change in its configuration example – A gas compressed in a cylinder, A wound spring of a water, water raised to the overhead tank in a house etc.
(i) Gravitational potential energy decreases as the body falls downwards and is zero at the earth
(ii) Kinetic energy increases as the body falls downwards and is maximum when the body just strikes the ground
(iii) According to law of conservation of energy total mechanical (KE + PE) energy remains constant
