Gravitational Potential Energy Calculator: Effortlessly Compute GPE in Joules
Multiply mass (kg), local gravity (N/kg), and height (m) to find gravitational potential energy; a 50 kg box raised 2 m on Earth stores ≈ 981 J (NASA Planetary Fact Sheet, https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/earthfact.html).
Gravitational Potential Energy Calculator
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How to use the tool
Mass (kg) – type the object’s mass. Example inputs: 2.3 kg (toy drone) or 120 kg (industrial crate).
Gravitational field strength (N/kg) – enter local gravity. Example inputs: 1.62 N/kg (Moon) or 24.79 N/kg (Jupiter).
Height (m) – add vertical distance from reference level. Example inputs: 3 m (warehouse shelf) or 200 m (wind-turbine hub).
Press Calculate; the result appears instantly in Joules (J).
Formula
The tool applies:
$$ GPE = m \times g \times h $$
m = mass (kg)
g = gravitational field strength (N/kg)
h = height (m)
Example calculations
Drone on Moon: 2.3 kg × 1.62 N/kg × 3 m = 11.18 J
Crate on Jupiter: 120 kg × 24.79 N/kg × 200 m = 595,000 J
Quick-Facts
Standard Earth gravity = 9.80665 N/kg (CODATA, 2022).
SI unit of energy is the Joule, defined as kg·m2/s2 (BIPM SI Brochure, 2019).
Gravitational potential energy (GPE) is the work stored in an object because you lifted it within a gravitational field (Halliday & Resnick, 2018).
How does the calculator work?
The script multiplies your mass, local gravity, and height inputs, then rounds to two decimal places for a Joule output.
Why enter gravity instead of using 9.8 N/kg?
Gravity varies by planet and altitude; using the correct value keeps calculations accurate for missions or lab demos (NASA Fact Sheet, 2023).
Can I use negative heights?
No. The reference level is zero; negative values represent depths and require different sign conventions in physics texts (Serway, 2020).
Is air resistance included?
No. GPE depends only on position in a conservative gravitational field, independent of drag forces (BIPM, 2019).
What’s the energy of 1 m³ of water (≈1000 kg) 50 m high on Earth?
1000 kg × 9.80665 N/kg × 50 m ≈ 490 kJ; hydro engineers call this “gross head energy” (IEA Hydropower Report, 2022).
Does mass change with location?
Mass remains constant; only weight and GPE vary with gravity (“Mass is invariant in classical mechanics,” ISO 80000-1).
Quote from a standard?
“One Joule is the work done when the point of application of one Newton is displaced by one metre” (BIPM SI Brochure, 2019).
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