I often use "configurational energy" as a preferred synonym for
"potential energy". Using the phrase "configurational energy" helps
avoid two common misconceptions about potential energy, because it
doesn't imply that the quantity isn't really energy, and it implies that
the energy is due to an interaction between two or more objects.
I recently discovered that "configurational energy" is used fairly
commonly in a more restricted sense in the study of liquids and solids.
Do any subscribers to this forum use the phrase "configurational energy"
in these contexts, or in other contexts where it is used in a more
restricted sense than just "potential energy"? If yes, would the use of
"configurational energy" as a synonym for "potential energy" in general
cause confusion with the use of "configurational energy" in the more
restricted sense?
Daniel Crowe
Loudoun Academy of Science
dan.crowe@loudoun.k12.va.us