What is the term for energy that is stored in an electromagnetic or electrostatic field?

Energy stored in an electromagnetic or electrostatic field is classified as potential energy. This is because the energy is being held in reserve—much like a compressed spring or water behind a dam—ready to do work when the circuit conditions change. When an inductor stores energy in a magnetic field or a capacitor stores energy in an electric field, it exists in this stationary, potential state. Kinetic energy, on the other hand, is the energy of physical motion, which does not apply to static fields storing energy. The other options, "Joule-coulombs" and "Ampere-joules," are nonsensical combinations of electrical units invented specifically to distract test-takers who are unsure of the correct physics terminology.