Gravitational Potential Energy Calculator
Gravitational potential energy calculator: E = mgh. Find energy, mass, height or gravity, on Earth or other planets.
Ep = m · g · h
How to use this calculator
- Choose the quantity you want under “Solve for”.
- Type the known values and pick their units: any combination works.
- The result updates as you type. Open “Show the steps” to see the substitution.
Near a planet’s surface, lifting a mass m by a height h stores potential energy Ep = m·g·h. On Earth g = 9.80665 m/s².
Change g to use other worlds: 1.62 m/s² on the Moon, 3.71 m/s² on Mars. For large heights, where g changes, use Newton’s law of gravitation instead.
Formula
Ep = m · g · h
| Symbol | Quantity | Units |
|---|---|---|
| m | Mass | kg, g, mg, µg, t, lb, oz, st, US ton, ct, Da |
| g | Gravitational acceleration | m/s², ft/s², g, Gal |
| h | Height | m, km, cm, mm, µm, nm, pm, Å, in, ft, yd, mi, nmi, au, ly |
| Ep | Potential energy | J, kJ, MJ, cal, kcal, Wh, kWh, eV, BTU, erg, ft·lbf |
Worked example
Given: m = 2 kg · g = 9.80665 m/s² · h = 10 m
Ep = m · g · h
Result: Ep = 196.133 J
Frequently asked questions
How much energy does it take to lift 10 kg by 2 m?
E = 10 × 9.81 × 2 = 196 J.
Where is height measured from?
From any reference level you choose; only differences in potential energy have physical meaning.