The formula to calculate the Gravitational Potential Energy is:
\[ U = - \frac{G \cdot M \cdot m}{r} \]
Where:
When looking at the potential energy of an object on Earth, the formula can be simplified to:
\[ U = m \cdot g \cdot h \]
Where:
Let's say we have two masses, 1000 kg and 500 kg, separated by a distance of 10 meters. The gravitational potential energy would be calculated as follows:
\[ U = - \frac{6.67430 \times 10^{-11} \cdot 1000 \cdot 500}{10} \approx -3.34 \times 10^{-7} \text{ J} \]
So, the gravitational potential energy is approximately -3.34 × 10⁻⁷ joules.
Gravitational potential energy is the energy an object possesses because of its position in a gravitational field. It is the work done to move an object from a reference point to a specific point within the field. The potential energy depends on the masses of the objects and the distance between them. For objects near the Earth's surface, it can be simplified to depend on the object's mass, the height above the surface, and the acceleration due to gravity.
