Equations
Gravitational potential energy near a surface
Energy · id gravitational_pe
U = m g h
| Symbol | Quantity | Unit | Meaning | Usual range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
U | potential energy | J | Energy relative to the reference height | 0 to 1e+12 |
m | mass | kg | Mass of the body | 0.001 to 1e+07 |
g | gravitational acceleration | m/s^2 | Local gravitational field strength | 1 to 30 |
h | height | m | Height above the reference level | 0 to 10000 |
Assumptions
- Uniform gravitational field
- Reference level at h = 0
Valid when
- h small compared with the planet's radius
Found by
Questions with these words retrieve this equation: energy, potential energy, gravity, height, lift, falls, shelf.
Source
OpenStax University Physics Volume 1, Chapter 8 (reference; entry written by the project). License: MIT. Entry confidence: 0.99.