What type of energy is stored in a compressed spring?

A compressed spring stores potential energy. This is because potential energy is the energy that is stored in an object due to its position or state. When a spring is compressed, it is displaced from its equilibrium position, resulting in an increase in stored energy, which can be released when the spring returns to its original shape. This energy is then converted to kinetic energy when the spring is allowed to expand, causing any object connected to the spring to move.

In contrast, kinetic energy is the energy of motion and would not apply to a stationary compressed spring. Chemical energy refers to the energy stored in the bonds of chemical compounds, which is not relevant to the mechanics of a spring. Thermal energy pertains to the internal energy of an object due to the motion of its particles and is also not directly related to the compression of a spring. Thus, the only relevant type of energy in this context is potential energy, specifically elastic potential energy in the case of a spring.