Gravitational potential energy

• Gravitational potential energy


  The energy stored in an object due to its position above the Earth's surface, due to the force of gravity acting on the object
• Changing chemical energy to gravitational potential energy


  Lifting an object off the ground and placing it on a shelf
• Allowing an object to fall off a shelf

  The stored gravitational potential energy is changed to other forms of energy such as thermal energy and kinetic energy
• Equation for gravitational potential energy


  Gravitational potential energy (in Joules) = Mass (in kg) x Gravitational field strength (in N/kg) x Height (in m)
• The equation for gravitational potential energy is not given in the exam, so it must be learned