Potential energy is stored energy that can be released as motion energy. Different types of objects have potential energy, including fuel, food, and springs. The formula for potential energy depends on the type of energy stored, with gravitational potential energy being calculated using PE = mgh. Energy is conserved, meaning potential energy can be converted into kinetic energy.
Potential energy is the energy stored in an object. Under the right conditions, this energy can be released as kinetic energy or motion energy. Many different types of objects have energy stored as potential energy, including fuel, food, and springs. The potential energy of an object can be calculated using the formula for potential energy.
There are different types of potential energy based on how the energy is stored. Food and fuel contain chemical potential energy, while stretched rubber bands have elastic potential energy. The formula for potential energy used depends on the type of energy stored. In this article, the formula discussed is for gravitational potential energy. Gravitational potential energy is the potential energy of an object due to the object’s height above a reference point, which is usually the Earth’s surface.
To calculate the potential energy of an object, the formula for potential energy (PE) is PE = mgh, where m is the object’s mass in kilograms (kg), g is the gravitational field strength, and h is l height of the object in meters (m). Rarely is an object lifted high enough to change the gravitational field, so 9.8 m/s2 (meters per second squared) is almost always used in the formula for potential energy. In some cases, GPE is used instead of PE to show that gravitational potential energy is being calculated.
For example, a weight of 25 kg is lifted 5 m above the ground. Compared to when he was on the ground, the change in potential energy can be calculated by substituting the numbers into the equation as such: PE = mgh = 25 x 9.8 x 5 = 1225 joules (J). Joules are the units used to measure energy and are named after a scientist named James Joule. In the mid-1800s, Joule performed a large number of experiments to demonstrate that heat and energy were indeed the same thing.
From the previous example, it was determined that the weight has 1225 J of stored energy, or potential energy. This means that if the weight were released, this stored energy would be converted into kinetic energy as it fell towards the ground. Energy is conserved, it is neither created nor lost. Consequently, just before the weight hits the ground, its kinetic energy would be the same as its potential energy, or 1225 J.
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