The Gravitational Potential Energy calculator computes the potential energy of a body with a certain mass (m) at rest at a certain height (y).
INSTRUCTIONS: Choose units and enter the following:
Potential Energy U(y): The calculator returns the potential energy in Joules (J). However this can be automatically converted to other energy units via the pull-down menu.
The formula for Potential Energy is:
where:
The default units for Potential Energy are Joules (J) for potential energy, meters per second (m/s²) for acceleration due to gravity, and meters (m) for vertical displacement.
The default acceleration due to gravity (g) is that of surface of the Earth at Sea Level (9.80665 m/s² ) . The user can override the default with other values.
Education Resources:
University Physics 12th Edition, Chapter 7, Equation #7.2