š Gravitational PE
Potential energy from mass and height
About this calculator
Gravitational potential energy is the energy stored by lifting something against gravity. Enter mass, height, and optionally a different gravity value, and the calculator returns the stored energy in joules ā the energy released if the object falls back down.
Potential energy equals mass times gravity times height, with Earth's gravity at 9.81 metres per second squared. A 1 kg book on a 2-metre shelf holds about 19.6 joules ā modest, but scale it to a 1,000 kg car on a hill and the numbers get serious fast.
Tip: Hydroelectric dams are this formula at civilizational scale: the energy generated equals the water's mass times the dam height times gravity, minus turbine losses.