Potential Energy
Potential energy of an object of mass m and height h, subjected to a gravitational force.
Enter 'x' in the field to be calculated.
The potential energy is defined by the following formula,
`U = m * g * h`
m: mass of the object in kg
g: gravitational constant of the place where the object is located (on Earth `g \approx 9.81` in m/s2)
h: height at which the object is located in meters
U: potential energy in joule
This formula applies on Earth or elsewhere on condition that you pick the gravitational acceleration (g) of the place where the object is. For example,
g (on Earth) = 9.81 m/s2 but,
Mg (on Moon) = 1.625 m/s2 (in this case, choose the value '1 Mg' for g in the calculator)
Potential Energy definition
The potential energy of an object is a measure of the energy it possesses due to its position in a field of gravitational force. More specifically, potential energy is the work that must be done to move the object from one position to another in the field of force. For example, if an object is on top of a hill, it has gravitational potential energy due to its position relative to the ground. If it is dropped, this potential energy will be converted into kinetic energy (energy of motion) as the object falls towards the ground.
See also
Kinetic Energy Calculator
Convert mass units
Convert distance units
Convert energy units
Energy, Power and Work Calculators
Physics Calculators