Gravitational Potential Energy Formula
PE = m·g·h
What it means
Gravitational potential energy is the energy an object has due to its height in a gravitational field.
Variables
| Symbol | Quantity | SI unit |
|---|---|---|
PE | potential energy | J |
m | mass | kg |
g | gravitational acceleration | m/s² |
h | height | m |
Worked example
Given m = 2 kg, g = 9.81 m/s², h = 10 m, solve for PE:
PE = 196.2 J