Res earch ers ▁in ▁distributed ▁computing ▁Category : F ellow ▁M embers ▁of ▁the ▁IE EE ▁Category : F ell ows ▁of ▁the ▁Association ▁for ▁Comput ing ▁Mach in ery ▁Category : C orn ell ▁University ▁al umn i ▁Category : Ital ian ▁computer ▁scient ists ▁Category : Univers ity ▁of ▁Bolog na ▁al umn i <0x0A> </s> ▁In ▁physics , ▁potential ▁energy ▁is ▁the ▁energy ▁held ▁by ▁an ▁object ▁because ▁of ▁its ▁position ▁relative ▁to ▁other ▁objects , ▁str esses ▁within ▁itself , ▁its ▁electric ▁charge , ▁or ▁other ▁factors . ▁ ▁Common ▁types ▁of ▁potential ▁energy ▁include ▁the ▁gravit ational ▁potential ▁energy ▁of ▁an ▁object ▁that ▁depends ▁on ▁its ▁mass ▁and ▁its ▁distance ▁from ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁mass ▁of ▁another ▁object , ▁the ▁el astic ▁potential ▁energy ▁of ▁an ▁extended ▁spring , ▁and ▁the ▁electric ▁potential ▁energy ▁of ▁an ▁electric ▁charge ▁in ▁an ▁electric ▁field . ▁The ▁unit ▁for ▁energy ▁in ▁the ▁International ▁System ▁of ▁Units ▁( SI ) ▁is ▁the ▁jou le , ▁which ▁has ▁the ▁symbol ▁J . ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁potential ▁energy ▁was ▁introduced ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 9 th - century ▁Scottish ▁engineer ▁and ▁phys ic ist ▁William ▁Rank ine , ▁although ▁it ▁has ▁links ▁to ▁Greek ▁phil os opher ▁Arist ot le ' s ▁concept ▁of ▁potential ity . ▁Pot ential ▁energy ▁is ▁associated ▁with ▁forces ▁that ▁act ▁on ▁a ▁body ▁in ▁a ▁way ▁that ▁the ▁total ▁work ▁done ▁by ▁these ▁forces ▁on ▁the ▁body ▁depends ▁only ▁on ▁the ▁initial ▁and ▁final ▁positions ▁of ▁the ▁body