Potential

Potential generally refers to a currently unrealized ability. The term is used in many fields, from physics to the social sciences, to describe things that can change in various ways, from simple energy release to the development of skills in people.

The philosopher Aristotle included this idea in his theory of potentiality and actuality. He used these connected principles to study motion, causality, ethics, and physiology in his works like Physics, Metaphysics, Nicomachean Ethics, and De Anima, which explores the human psyche. Something that is potential can become real through the right action. For example, a boulder on a cliff has the potential to fall, which can happen if it is pushed over the edge.

In physics, a potential can mean the scalar potential or the vector potential. These are fields in space from which important physical properties can be figured out. Examples include the gravitational potential and the electric potential, which help us understand how objects move when they are affected by gravity or electric charge. Other specific forces also have associated potentials, such as the Coulomb potential, the van der Waals potential, the Lennard-Jones potential, and the Yukawa potential. In electrochemistry, there are terms like Galvani potential, Volta potential, electrode potential, and standard electrode potential. In thermodynamics, the word potential often refers to thermodynamic potential.

Etymology

The word "potential" comes from a Latin word called potentialis. This Latin word is related to another word, potentia, which means might, force, power, and also ability. It comes from an old verb posse, meaning "to be able" or "to have power."

Some languages, like Finnish, Japanese, and Sanskrit, have a special way of talking about things that might happen but aren’t happening yet. This is called the "potential mood."