The potential energy formula, PE = mgh, can be used to calculate an object’s potential and kinetic energy, as well as identify missing variables. It can also be modified to calculate potential energy changes and determine an object’s height. The formula is commonly used to determine an object’s energy capabilities without propulsive force.
The basic formula for potential energy, PE = mgh, is most commonly used in a direct way. To calculate an object’s potential energy (PE), multiply the object’s mass in kilograms (m) by Earth’s gravitational constant (g) and the object’s height above the floor in meters (h). The formula can also be manipulated to calculate the value of a missing variable; mass, for example, can be calculated by dividing the object’s potential energy by the gravitational constant and its height, or g = PE/gh. Since an object’s potential energy is equal to its kinetic energy in a vacuum, the potential energy formula can also be used to determine its kinetic energy. The same applications can be used for more complicated types of potential energy formulas, such as electrostatic or nuclear potential energy.
Most people use the basic iteration of the potential energy formula to determine how much work an object would do if it were to fall from a fixed height. This allows individuals to determine the energy generated by an object should it experience the simplest form of motion, making it one of the most accurate approximations of the object’s energy capabilities without the added force of a propulsive action. The convention of the formula for using the Earth’s gravitational pull, measured at 9.8 meters per second squared (m/s2), is based on the assumption that the most relevant actions would take place within the planet’s gravitational field. Some scientists prefer to be clear about this distinction, referring to the commonly used formula as the gravitational potential energy formula.
Individuals can use the potential energy formula to determine an object’s potential energy from a fixed height or to calculate the change in its potential energy if the object is transferred to another height. This is achieved by changing the formula from PE = mgh to PE = mg(h1-h2), where h1 is the largest height and h2 is the smallest. The change in potential energy can impact several considerations in assorted fields, such as engineering and mechanical design.
Manipulating the formula can help people identify missing variables. If the height of the object within the system is unknown, the formula can be changed to h = PE/mg, where the height equals the potential energy divided by the mass of the object and the gravitational constant. Because g has a constant value in the equation, it often doesn’t need to be solved for, unless the object is in a location where the pull of gravity differs.
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