Fixin' To... (Potential v. Kenetic Pt.1)

We Okies have a saying: I'M FIXIN' TO... It's a great declaration. Something big is about to happen.

As juniors in high school our physics teacher introduced us to the concept of energy and its two forms: POTENTIAL and KINETIC. Mr. Hale placed a piece of chalk on a desk and said, "This is potential energy." The chalk just sat there. Then with his finger, he gave the chalk a nudge. "This," he said as it rolled off the desk and was in free-fall, "is kinetic energy." The correlation logged in my brain:

     kinetic energy = movement
     potential energy = just sits there
     potential can / kinetic does
     potential revs the engine / kinetic squeals the tires
     

Potential is... FIXIN TO... 

Here's a thought, huge potential gets less done (about zero) than a tiny bit of kinetic.

Human potential is fascinating to me. And unrealized, unrecognized, or underutilized potential is incredibly sad.  I've thought long about how to approach this subject. Frankly I decided to jump in somewhere in the middle and work my way out. It may take several posts, or I may fizzle. But at least there is POTENTIAL!

Energy is the ability to do work; or if you'll allow me - to do something.

A simple version of the Law of the Conservation of Energy states, Energy cannot be created nor destroyed. It can only be stored or transferred. This begs a question: Am I just storing up, or am I transferring?

So why the lesson on forms of energy? Because we can be fixin' to... for only so long.

Big Potential... but it must leave the launching pad!

I'm fixin' to go.
For now...
D