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Potential Energy Calculator

Select the parameter and provide all the required ones. The calculator will take instants to calculate the potential energy, acceleration, mass, and height of the object.

Calculate:

Height

µg ▾

Mass

µg ▾

Gravity

mm ▾

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Our Potential Energy Calculator allows you to calculate the mass, acceleration due to gravity, height, or gravitational potential energy of an object quickly and accurately.

What is Potential Energy?

In physics, potential energy is the energy stored in an object due to its position, configuration, or state.

Definition:

"The energy required to move an object against the force of gravity is called gravitational potential energy."

The higher an object is lifted above a reference point, the greater its gravitational potential energy. As the object moves closer to the ground, its potential energy decreases.

Real-life examples of potential energy:

A ripe fruit hanging on a tree before it falls.
A bullet at the highest point of its trajectory.
A box resting on a table before it drops.

Gravitational Potential Energy Formula:

The gravitational potential energy (P.E.) of an object is calculated using:

P.E = m × g × h

Where:

m = mass of the object (kg)
g = acceleration due to gravity (m/s²)
h = height above the reference point (m)

Acceleration Due to Gravity

When an object falls freely toward Earth, it accelerates due to gravity. Near the Earth's surface, this acceleration has an approximate value of:

g = 9.8 m/s²

This value may vary slightly depending on altitude and location.

Energy Transformation Illustration

potential energy

In the image above, a car climbs a cliff. At the bottom, the car has maximum kinetic energy and minimal potential energy. As it ascends, its height increases, causing gravitational potential energy to increase while kinetic energy decreases.

At the highest point, the car momentarily comes to rest. Here, gravitational potential energy is maximum and kinetic energy is zero. As the car descends, potential energy converts back into kinetic energy due to the conservation of mechanical energy.

How to Calculate Potential Energy?

Let’s understand the calculation process with examples:

Example #01:

Find the potential energy of an object with:

Mass, m = 96.2 kg
Height, h = 10 m

Solution:

P.E = m × g × h

P.E = 96.2 × 9.8 × 10

P.E = 9427.6 J

The gravitational potential energy is 9427.6 joules.

Example #02:

An object has:

Potential energy, P.E = 63 J
Mass, m = 25 kg
Gravity, g = 4.2 m/s²

Find the height (h).

Solution:

Rearranging the formula:

h = P.E / (m × g)

h = 63 / (25 × 4.2)

h = 0.6 m

The height of the object is 0.6 meters.

Example #03:

An object has:

Height, h = 4.1 m
Potential energy, P.E = 7.8 J

Find its mass.

Solution:

Rearranging the formula:

m = P.E / (g × h)

m = 7.8 / (9.8 × 4.1)

m ≈ 0.194 kg

The mass of the object is approximately 0.194 kilograms.

How the Potential Energy Calculator Works

Our free gravitational potential energy calculator helps you determine any missing variable in the equation P.E = m × g × h.

Input:

Select the unknown parameter you want to calculate:

Mass (m)
Gravity (g)
Height (h)
Potential Energy (P.E)

Enter the known values and click Calculate.

Output:

Calculated value of the selected variable
Step-by-step solution
Proper unit representation

References:

From Wikipedia: Work and potential energy, gravitational potential energy, negative gravitational energy.
From Khan Academy: Conservation of energy and work-energy principles.

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