There are many different kinds of energy. Every kind of action needs energy to make it happen.

Potential energy, energy that is stored, has to do with the position or arrangement of the parts of an object. An object's potential energy increases as it is raised and stretched. A raised object has gravitational potential energy. The higher an object, the greater this potential energy. As an object falls or moves toward the Earth, its potential energy is changed to kinetic energy.

A stretched rubber band has elastic potential energy. As the rubber band returns to its original shape, its potential energy changes to kinetic energy.

Kinetic energy is the energy an object has because of the motion of its mass. The faster something moves or the greater its mass, the greater its kinetic energy.