Which of the following statements describes potential energy?

The statement that describes potential energy accurately is that it is stored energy due to position or arrangement. Potential energy is the energy an object possesses because of its position in a force field, such as gravitational or elastic (like a spring). For instance, an object held at a height possesses gravitational potential energy because of its position relative to the ground. Similarly, a compressed spring holds potential energy due to its arrangement.

In contrast, energy of motion would refer to kinetic energy, which is the energy that an object has due to its movement. Energy produced from chemical reactions pertains to chemical energy, which is released during chemical reactions as bonds are formed or broken. Lastly, energy emitted from nuclear reactions refers to nuclear energy, which originates from the changes in the nucleus of atoms. Each of these other forms of energy has distinct characteristics that differentiate them from potential energy.