Potential energy

Potential energy is energy that is stored in an object. An example is gravitational potential energy such as that of a roller coaster train at the peak of its lift hill.

The formula for gravitational potential energy for two point masses is:

$V=-{\frac {GMm}{r}}$

where

$G$ is Newton's gravitational constant

$M$ and $m$ are the masses of the two particles

$r$ is their separation

If one particle moves a radial distance (towards or away) from the other a distance $\Delta h$ and $\Delta h\ll r$, then the change in potential $\Delta E$ can be approximated by

$\Delta E=mg\,\Delta h$

where $g$ is the gravitational field strength in the vicinity of the initial and final points.

See also

• Kinetic Energy