Final answer:
Potential energy is stored energy due to an object's position or condition, and kinetic energy is the energy an object possesses due to its motion. Transformations between potential and kinetic energy are continuous, like water flowing through a dam converting potential energy into kinetic.
Step-by-step explanation:
Potential energy is often described as stored energy. It is the energy that an object possesses due to its position, composition, or condition relative to other objects. Examples include the energy stored by water at the top of a waterfall and the chemical potential energy stored in the bonds of a molecule. An object perched at a height, like a brick on a windowsill, also has potential energy due to gravity's pull.
Kinetic energy, on the other hand, is the energy of motion. Any object that is moving has kinetic energy. The faster an object moves, the more kinetic energy it possesses. This is observable in scenarios like a flowing river turning a turbine or a falling brick gaining speed and thus kinetic energy until it impacts the ground.
Transformations between these types of energy occur continuously. When an object falls, its potential energy is converted into kinetic energy. Similarly, in a hydroelectric dam, the potential energy of water is converted into kinetic energy, which is then used to generate electricity.