Potential Energy Calculator
Calculate gravitational potential energy from mass, height and gravity.
Stored energy of height
Gravitational potential energy is the energy an object has stored by virtue of its height — lift something up and you give it energy that can be released by letting it fall. This calculates it from mass, height and gravity, a fundamental quantity for understanding falling objects, hydroelectric power and anything raised against gravity.
Enter the mass, height and gravity to see the potential energy.
The exchange with kinetic energy
The beautiful idea here is that potential and kinetic energy convert into one another. A raised object holds potential energy; as it falls, that converts into kinetic energy of motion, which is why a longer drop hits harder. A pendulum trades the two back and forth, a roller coaster stores potential energy on the climb and spends it on the descent, and a hydroelectric dam turns the potential energy of high water into electricity.
Common questions
What is gravitational potential energy?
The energy an object has stored because of its height — lift it up and it gains energy that releases as it falls.
How does it relate to kinetic energy?
They convert into each other — as an object falls, its potential energy becomes kinetic energy of motion, which is why a longer drop hits harder.
Is anything uploaded?
No. The calculation happens in your browser.