Potential Energy Calculator
Find the gravitational potential energy stored by an object raised to a given height.
kg
m
- 1
m × g
5 kg × 9.80665 m/s² = 49.0332 - 2
Potential energy PE = (m × g) × h
49.0332 × 10 m = 490.33PE in joules; doubling mass or height doubles the stored energy
Formula
How this is calculated
The calculator takes two inputs: the object's mass (m) in kilograms and its vertical height (h) in metres above your chosen reference level. It multiplies them by a fixed constant, the standard acceleration due to gravity g = 9.80665 m/s², to evaluate PE = m × g × h. The result is the gravitational potential energy in joules (J); it is also shown in kilojoules by dividing by 1000.
Each term scales the energy linearly: doubling either the mass or the height doubles the stored energy, which is why the chart of PE against height is a straight line through the origin. Height is measured from whatever zero level you pick, because only differences in height are physically meaningful — the same object has more or less PE depending on where you place the reference.
The formula assumes a uniform gravitational field near Earth's surface, so it is accurate for everyday heights but not for orbital or astronomical distances where g changes. It uses one standardised g rather than your local value, ignores air resistance, and treats the object as a point mass with no rotational or elastic energy.
Examples
| Input | Result |
|---|---|
| m = 5 kg, h = 10 m | PE ≈ 490.33 J |
About this calculator
Gravitational potential energy is the energy an object stores by virtue of its position in a gravitational field. Near Earth’s surface it is given by PE = m × g × h, where m is mass in kilograms, g is the standard acceleration due to gravity (9.80665 m/s²) and h is the vertical height in metres, giving energy in joules.
This stored energy can be converted into kinetic energy as the object falls — at the bottom of an unobstructed drop, all the potential energy becomes kinetic energy (ignoring air resistance). The reference height where PE is taken as zero is arbitrary; only differences in height between two points are physically meaningful.
Frequently asked questions
Gravitational potential energy is PE = m × g × h, using mass in kilograms, g = 9.80665 m/s² and height in metres to get joules.
It uses standard gravity, g = 9.80665 m/s², the internationally defined average value at Earth’s surface.
Only the change in height matters physically. You can choose any convenient zero level (such as the ground or a tabletop) and measure height from there.
Also known as
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). Potential Energy Calculator [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/potential-energy-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "Potential Energy Calculator." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/potential-energy-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "Potential Energy Calculator," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/potential-energy-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_potential_energy_calculator, title = {Potential Energy Calculator}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/potential-energy-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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