Editing Potential well (section)

{{Short description|Concept in quantum mechanics}}
[[File:Potential energy well.svg|thumb|400px|right|A generic potential energy well.]] 
A '''potential well''' is the region surrounding a [[local minimum]] of [[potential energy]]. Energy captured in a potential well is unable to convert to another type of energy ([[kinetic energy]] in the case of a [[gravity|gravitational]] potential well) because it is captured in the local minimum of a potential well. Therefore, a body may not proceed to the global minimum of potential energy, as it would naturally tend to do due to [[entropy]].