Potential Energy Calculator

What is the Potential Energy Calculator?

Calculate gravitational potential energy from mass and height. Gravitational potential energy is the energy an object stores because of its height, calculated as mass × gravity × height.

How to use the Potential Energy Calculator

1. Enter your mass, your height, your gravity.
2. Results update automatically as you type; you can also press Calculate.
3. Read the output: potential energy, impact speed if dropped.
4. Use the 📊 chart to see the result visually, then copy or share it.

Formula and method

Worked example

With mass = 50 kg, height = 10 m, gravity = 9.80665 m/s², the Potential Energy Calculator returns potential energy: 4,903.33 J; impact speed if dropped: 14.005 m/s.

Where the Potential Energy Calculator helps in real life

A crane lifts a 500 kg load 20 meters. The calculator shows about 98,000 joules of potential energy, the minimum energy the crane’s motor must supply.

A student compares the potential energy at the top of a roller coaster with the kinetic energy at the bottom to see energy conservation in action.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Measuring height in feet when the formula uses meters.
• Forgetting that height is measured from a chosen reference level.
• Leaving a small object’s mass in grams rather than converting to kilograms.
• Using 10 for g when the problem specifies 9.81.

💡 Practical tip: Potential energy depends on height relative to a reference point, so state which level you are measuring from.

Tips for better results

• Choose the lowest point in the problem as zero height.
• Use 9.81 m/s² for Earth’s gravity.
• Compare with kinetic energy to check conservation problems.

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