Energy stored in chemical bonds is called what?

• A. Kinetic energy
• B. Chemical potential energy
• C. Gravitational potential energy
• D. Mechanical energy

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is that chemical bonds store energy as chemical potential energy. This is a type of potential energy tied to how atoms are arranged and the bonds holding them together. It differs from kinetic energy, which is energy of motion, and from gravitational potential energy, which depends on height in a gravitational field. Mechanical energy describes the total energy of a system (the sum of kinetic and potential energies) rather than the specific energy stored in bonds. For example, fuels and foods contain chemical potential energy in their bonds, and when those bonds are broken and new ones form during reactions, that stored energy can be released as heat or used to do work.