Graviational Potential Energy
CLAIMED BY NICK RICCARDELLI, Cooper Link (Fall 2017)
The Main Idea
Siimilar to potential energy caused by elastic potential, gravitational potential energy is caused by an object's position in a gravitational field relative to a chosen zero point.
A Mathematical Model
PE = mgh
- m = the object's mass in kilograms
- g = gravitational acceleration, 9.8 m/s^2 on earth
- h = the object's height in meters from a chosen reference point
Examples
What is the potential energy of a 5kg object on top of a 20 meter structure?
- PE = mgh
- PE = (5 kg) * (20 m) * (9.8 m/s^2)
- PE = 980 kg*m^2/s^2 = 980 J
Connectedness
Because of conservation of momentum, gravitational potential energy has many applications in physics, chemsistry, and several facets of engineering. For example, how fast will a ball hit the ground when dropped from a certain height? How much work is done by a tall waterfall? How high can you build a rollercoaster? Will roadrunner escape the perils of introductory physics (see video below)?
Video
References
- Matter & Interactions, Vol. II: Electric and Magnetic Interactions, 4nd Edition by R. Chabay & B. Sherwood (John Wiley & Sons 2015)
- Hyperphysics: Gravitational Potential Energy, Georgia Southern University