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The three things that determine gravitational potential energy are the strength of the gravitational field, the mass of the object on which it is acting, and its "altitude" or height of elevation in the field. There are some subtle complexities that also play a part in a complete dynamic picture, but these are the basics. If you were making calculations to design and engineer a roller coaster, these are the things you'd need to know.

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14y ago
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12y ago

Gravitational potential energy=mgh

Where:

-m=mass (not weight) of the object

-g=gravity (or the rate at which an object will accelerate in free-fall)

-h=height (usually in meters, but depends on what height units are in your "g" value)

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Q: On what three things does gravitational potential energy depend?
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What things use gravitational potential energy?

The medieval war machine the trebuchet uses gravitational potential energy to hurl rocks. Hydroelectric dams use the gravitational potential of water to convert to kinetic energy to drive a turbine and create electricity.


Energy stored by things attracted to each other by the force of gravity is what type of potential energy?

Gravitational


What type of energy do things contain?

"Things" can contain just about any type of energy, depending on the situation: kinetic energy, gravitational potential energy, electric potential energy, magnetic potential energy, elastic energy, nuclear energy, heat energy, etc.


How can you increase gravitational potential energy?

Potential gravitational energy is pretty theoretic, but exists as potential. So a ball sitting on the floor has little to no potential energy as it is as low as possible, but put that ball on a table, its potential energy increases. So the answer is to place things higher, on a surface of a sort. Mass and height


The type of energy a ball has when you hold it above the ground?

Potential energy is a stored energy due to the gravity and height above the ground. In physics the formula for potential energy is: PE = mgy where m = mass (kg), g = acceleration due to gravity (m/s^2), y = height (m) What if there is no height? Well, by simply letting y = 0 and multiplying 0 to m and g, we get PE = 0. Therefore potential energy does not exist and shows it is only present when the object has a height above the ground.

Related questions

Gravitational potential energy depend on what?

Gravitational Potential energy = -GmM/r , depends on three things; the product of the masses and inversely on the separation between the masses, r and finally the gravitational constant, G.


What things use gravitational potential energy?

The medieval war machine the trebuchet uses gravitational potential energy to hurl rocks. Hydroelectric dams use the gravitational potential of water to convert to kinetic energy to drive a turbine and create electricity.


Energy stored by things attracted to each other by the force of gravity is what type of potential energy?

Gravitational


What type of energy do things contain?

"Things" can contain just about any type of energy, depending on the situation: kinetic energy, gravitational potential energy, electric potential energy, magnetic potential energy, elastic energy, nuclear energy, heat energy, etc.


How can you increase gravitational potential energy?

Potential gravitational energy is pretty theoretic, but exists as potential. So a ball sitting on the floor has little to no potential energy as it is as low as possible, but put that ball on a table, its potential energy increases. So the answer is to place things higher, on a surface of a sort. Mass and height


Is the energy that a body in movement possess?

Slinky! No, seriously. A slinky at the top of the stairs has POTENTIAL energy, a slinky falling down the stairs has KINETIC energy. Things with the potential to release energy have POTENTIAL energy. Things currently releasing that energy have KINETIC energy. Of course, it could also be a block of uranium, and it's got energy no matter what it's doing. Or it could be a chunk of wood sitting there, it's got thermal & light energy stored inside it, which would be released by rapid oxidization (burning).


Why you not encounter the gravitational potential energy for the internal energy of the gas?

Potential energy and internal energy are different things and unrelated - except when a process converts one to the other. In most processes involving gases, the density of the gas is so low that changes in potential energy (which depend on total mass times change in height) are not significant in comparison to changes in the internal energy, so we neglect it in out calculations.


The type of energy a ball has when you hold it above the ground?

Potential energy is a stored energy due to the gravity and height above the ground. In physics the formula for potential energy is: PE = mgy where m = mass (kg), g = acceleration due to gravity (m/s^2), y = height (m) What if there is no height? Well, by simply letting y = 0 and multiplying 0 to m and g, we get PE = 0. Therefore potential energy does not exist and shows it is only present when the object has a height above the ground.


What has more potential energy?

The factors that affect an object's gravitational potential energy are its height relative to some reference point, its mass, and the strength of the gravitational field it is in. You didn't say what two things you want to compare.


What is Gravitational potential energy depended on?

Just look at the formula: PE = mgh potential energy = mass x gravity x height So, it depends on those three things.


What things store potential energy?

Several things, depending on the type of potential energy. Gravitational potential energy: Any object that is above the chosen reference level (often the ground level) has positive potential energy. Anything below the chosen reference level has negative potential energy. Elastic potential energy: For example, a compressed spring. Chemical energy: For example, hydrogen and oxygen separately have a higher energy level than when they combine into water.


What is earths gravity in gravitational potential energy?

The Earth's gravitational field and gravitational potential energy are really two quite different things. The relationalship is the following: Gravitational potential energy = mass x gravity x height Where gravity is the acceleration due to gravity - near Earth's surface, that's 9.8 meters/second2 - or the equivalent, weight per unit mass (which near Earth's surface is 9.8 newton/kilogram).