Gravitational Potential Energy - Overview

Gravitational potential energy. Gravitational potential energy is the amount of energy stored by an object because of its height. For example, when a child falls down a slide, it loses potential energy. When the child cleanse back up the ladder, it gains potential energy. One way to think of it is in order to for the child to get from this point to this point, it must use energy. You must use its own energy. Once it's at this point, that energy that it used is converted to gravitational potential energy. The child can then use that gravitational potential energy to go from this point, sliding down the slide to this point. Okay, now the equation UG equals MGH. UG is gravitational potential energy. Oftentimes, you might see this written as GPE, gravitational potential energy. That's equal to the mass of the object. Times G, which is 9.8, and then times the height, so the higher the height, the greater the potential energy. The greater the mass, the greater the potential energy. The units for gravitational potential energy, UG, are also in joules similar to work. Joules is the SI unit for energy.