Energy associated with height in a nearly uniform gravitational field.
Difficulty
Beginner
Read time
5 min
Prerequisites
Mass, gravity, and reference heights
Source
OpenStax, University Physics Volume 1, §8.1: Potential Energy of a SystemReference for gravitational potential energy with constant g and a chosen zero height. Explanation and worked example written for FormuLab.
Raising a mass increases the gravitational potential energy of the object-Earth system. The value depends on your chosen zero height: a position below that level has negative potential energy. Energy differences between positions are independent of that choice. This formula gives gravitational energy, rather than the total input energy of a lifting machine.
| Symbol | Meaning | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Gravitational potential energy relative to the chosen zero | ||
| Mass of the object | ||
| Magnitude of gravitational acceleration | ||
| Signed height above the zero-energy reference level |
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A 5.00 kg load rests on a shelf 2.00 m above the floor. Take the floor as zero gravitational potential energy and use g = 9.81 m/s². Find the load-Earth system's gravitational potential energy.
Reference for gravitational potential energy with constant g and a chosen zero height. Explanation and worked example written for FormuLab.
Assumptions
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