Identify the seven syllabus energy stores
Name a store in an object or system and distinguish it from a way energy travels.
Exam scope and assessment notes
Core and Extended · Physics 0972, 2026–2028, section 1.7.1. Energy stores, transfers and simple conservation are Core; kinetic and gravitational potential energy equations, multistage conservation and Sankey diagrams are Supplement. State the system, interval and model assumptions. Written practice is self-checked. Supervised practical experience, cumulative assessment and human subject-teacher review remain pending. Cambridge states that IGCSE 0972 has the same subject content as IGCSE 0625, with 9–1 grading. This StudyForA pathway maps the 2026–2028 syllabus only. This 9–1 graded qualification is available only in a limited number of administrative zones. Confirm that your centre can enter you for this code and exam series with Cambridge International. Cambridge has published a separate syllabus for 2029. StudyForA has not reconciled that version yet; this page supports exams in 2026, 2027 and 2028 only.
Before you begin
- Describe motion and changes in position.
- Distinguish an object from its surroundings.
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
Which description refers to motion?
What you will learn
- Recognise kinetic, gravitational potential, chemical, elastic, nuclear, electrostatic and internal stores.
- Give a physical system for each store.
A store belongs to a physical system
A moving cart has a kinetic energy store. An elevated cart and Earth have a gravitational potential store because of their relative position. A stretched or compressed elastic spring has an elastic strain store. Food, a fuel and a battery have chemical stores: chemical changes can transfer energy from those stores. Naming the relevant object or interacting system makes the description more precise than simply saying 'energy exists'.
Nuclear stores concern atomic nuclei. Electrostatic stores concern arrangements of electric charges, such as separated charges on a charged capacitor. An internal or thermal store concerns microscopic particle motion and interactions in a material. A hot cup and its surroundings can exchange energy, but temperature is not itself an amount of stored energy.
Keep stores separate from transfer pathways
Light and sound describe waves that carry energy between places rather than two extra entries in this syllabus's seven-store list. Heating, electrical work and mechanical work also describe transfers. For example, a battery's chemical store decreases as a current transfers energy electrically to a lamp, which transfers energy to its surroundings through radiation and heating.
One system can have more than one store: a moving elevated object can have kinetic and gravitational potential energy at the same time. Do not assume that naming one store proves every other store is zero. These examples identify stores qualitatively; they do not give a measurement of each store's amount or require an unsafe demonstration with mains electricity, fuels or radioactive material.
Pause and explain
Is 'sound' an additional store in the seven-store list?
Worked example
Name the relevant store for a moving cart, an elevated cart–Earth system, a compressed spring and a charged capacitor.
Show the worked solution
- Motion gives the cart a kinetic store.
- Height relative to Earth gives a gravitational potential store; elastic deformation gives the spring an elastic strain store.
- Separated charges give the capacitor–charge arrangement an electrostatic store.
Answer Kinetic; gravitational potential; elastic strain; electrostatic.
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Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
Classify a moving cart, an elevated cart–Earth system and a compressed elastic spring.
Give me a hint
Match motion, relative height and deformation to their stores.
Compare my reasoning
- Motion corresponds to kinetic energy.
- Relative height corresponds to gravitational potential energy.
- Elastic deformation corresponds to an elastic strain store.
Kinetic; gravitational potential; elastic strain.
Look for these in your work
- Use all three stated physical properties.
- Name stores rather than transfer pathways.
Classify fuel before combustion, a nucleus, separated capacitor charges and the microscopic energy of a warm material.
Give me a hint
Use the type of physical arrangement in each description.
Compare my reasoning
- Fuel has a chemical store and the nucleus a nuclear store.
- The charge arrangement has an electrostatic store.
- The material has an internal or thermal store.
Chemical; nuclear; electrostatic; internal (thermal).
Look for these in your work
- Include the less familiar stores.
- Keep a macroscopic temperature distinct from an energy amount.
A student says a battery-powered sound device has a 'sound store' and cannot also have a thermal store. Correct both claims.
Give me a hint
Separate the sound-wave pathway from stores in the device.
Compare my reasoning
- The battery has a chemical store that can decrease.
- Sound waves transfer energy to surroundings rather than constituting the extra listed store.
- The device can also increase its internal store, so one pathway does not exclude other stores.
Sound is a transfer pathway; chemical and internal stores can also be involved.
Look for these in your work
- Correct the store–transfer distinction.
- Allow more than one relevant store.
Common mistakes
- Name the physical system.
- Light and sound transfer energy rather than adding extra stores here.
- Temperature and stored energy are different quantities.
What can you explain now?
Which store decreases when fuel undergoes combustion?
Compare with the explanation
Its chemical store.
Energy leaves the fuel's chemical store and can increase internal stores of the products and surroundings.
After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.
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Make it stick
Name all seven stores and give a system for each without using light or sound as extra stores.
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.