This potential energy calculator finds the gravitational potential energy an object stores because of its height, using the formula PE equals mass times gravity times height. Potential energy is the energy of position: lift an object up and you store energy in it, which is released as kinetic energy if it falls, the principle behind everything from hydro dams and roller coasters to a hammer raised before a strike. You choose what to solve for, the energy, the mass or the height, then enter the other values along with the strength of gravity, which defaults to Earth's 9.81 metres per second squared but can be changed for the Moon, Mars or anywhere else. To find the energy the calculator multiplies mass, gravity and height together; to find the mass or the height it divides the energy by the other two terms. The natural units are kilograms for mass, metres for height and metres per second squared for gravity, which give energy in joules. Potential energy and kinetic energy convert back and forth as something rises and falls, and in the absence of friction their total stays constant, which is the conservation of mechanical energy. This is a core physics tool for energy problems and for understanding stored energy in real systems. Enter your values to see the result straight away.
Gravity defaults to Earth's 9.81 m/s². Mass in kg, height in m, energy in joules. Estimate only.
The calculator uses PE equals m g h. To find the energy it multiplies mass, gravity and height. To find the mass it divides the energy by gravity times height, and to find the height it divides the energy by mass times gravity. Gravity is taken from the box, so you can model other worlds by changing it.
A 10 kilogram mass lifted 20 metres on Earth stores 10 times 9.81 times 20, which is 1962 joules. If it fell that far, all of that would become kinetic energy at the bottom.
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