Which of the following best describes potential energy?

Potential energy is best described as energy stored in an object due to its position. This type of energy is associated with the gravitational potential energy of an object that is positioned at a height and has the potential to do work when it falls. For instance, when you lift an object off the ground, you are doing work against gravitational forces, and the energy used to lift that object becomes stored as potential energy.

This concept can also apply to other scenarios, such as a compressed spring or energy stored in a stretched rubber band. In each of these cases, energy is stored due to the object's configuration rather than its motion. Thus, potential energy is fundamentally related to the position or state of an object and not its movement or changes in temperature or chemical structure.