Final answer:
To demonstrate the potential energy of a compressed spring, measure its compression and use the formula 'Potential energy = 1/2 k x²' where k is the spring constant and x is the compression distance. To demonstrate the potential energy of gasoline, calculate the equivalent gravitational potential energy using the formula 'Potential energy = mass x gravitational acceleration x height'.
Step-by-step explanation:
Potential energy is the energy that an object possesses due to its position or condition. Both a compressed spring and a liter of gasoline have potential energy.
To demonstrate the potential energy of a compressed spring, one can measure the amount of compression and the spring constant and use the formula:
Potential energy = 1/2 k x²
Where k denotes the spring constant and x denotes the compression distance. Substituting the values into the formula will give the potential energy stored in the spring.
To demonstrate the potential energy of gasoline, one can calculate the equivalent gravitational potential energy by using the formula:
Potential energy = mass x gravitational acceleration x height
Substituting the values of the mass of gasoline and the gravitational acceleration will give the height to which the gasoline would need to be lifted to have the same potential energy.