Potential Energy Calculator
Gravitational potential energy calculator (PE = mgh): solve for energy, mass or height in SI units, with a US/imperial readout. Curriculum-aligned.
Potential Energy Calculator
Enter any two values and leave the third blank — the calculator solves for it using g = 9.81 m/s². Results are in SI units, with a US/imperial readout below.
- Curriculum
- English (global) — Cambridge International + IB
- Built against
- Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625 + IB Diploma (2023–2025) — Gravitational Potential Energy
- Unit system
- SI primary; US/imperial readout below
- First published
- 2 Jun 2026
- Last updated
- 2 Jun 2026
View authoritative scientific sources
- NIST SP 811 (2008), §3 — units & conversions
- BIPM SI Brochure, 9th edition (2019)
- Potential energy — Encyclopædia Britannica
⚠️ Educational use only — see full disclaimer
EDUCATIONAL USE DISCLAIMER
This calculator is provided for educational and reference purposes only. It is not a substitute for instruction from a qualified teacher, your prescribed textbook, or your school's official curriculum materials.
When preparing for examinations, always cross-check our calculations and notation against your current syllabus and your teacher's guidance. Syllabus conventions and accepted notation vary between curricula and may change between examination years.
If you believe any calculation, notation, or curriculum reference in this tool is inaccurate, please let us know via the feedback button. We review feedback promptly and update tools when verified corrections are needed.
RECATOOLS accepts no liability for academic, examination, professional, or research outcomes arising from use of this tool.
How to Use the Potential Energy Calculator
Pick your curriculum
Use the curriculum pills above to match your syllabus (Cambridge/IB, 高考 or SPM). Terminology and the whole page follow your selection.
Enter any two values
Type two of potential energy, mass and height — leave the one you want to find blank. Each field has a unit selector.
Read the SI result
The answer is shown in SI units — joules (J), kilograms (kg), metres (m), with a dimmed US/imperial readout below.
Check against your syllabus
The Tool Information block shows exactly which syllabus this is built against. Spot something off? Use the feedback button.
Gravitational Potential Energy, in Your Curriculum's Words
Gravitational Potential Energy (PE = mass × g × height)
Example: An object of mass 2.0 kg is lifted to a height of 10 m. Find its gravitational potential energy (g = 9.81 m/s²).
Given: m = 2.0 kg, h = 10 m. Using PE = mgh:
PE = 2.0 × 9.81 × 10 ≈ 196 J
Gravitational potential energy is the energy an object stores because of its position in a gravitational field: PE = mgh. Energy is in joules (J), mass in kilograms (kg), height in metres (m), and g is the acceleration due to gravity, about 9.81 m/s² at the Earth's surface. Rearranged, the same relation gives mass (m = PE / gh) or height (h = PE / mg), which is why this tool solves for whichever value you leave blank.
Only the change in height matters, so you can choose any reference level (e.g. the floor) as zero. When an object falls, potential energy converts into kinetic energy. SI is always the primary result, with a dimmed US/imperial readout for reference. All calculation happens in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
Potential energy is "stored" energy — ready to convert into motion the moment the object is released.
10 Facts About Potential Energy
Gravitational PE is PE = mgh, measured in joules (J).
It depends on height relative to a reference level.
g at the Earth's surface is about 9.81 m/s².
When it falls, PE converts into kinetic energy.
Only the change in height matters, not the absolute position.
Hydroelectric dams store energy as the PE of water.
On the Moon g is smaller, so PE at the same height is lower.
Elastic PE (a spring) is a different kind of potential energy.
Total mechanical energy = PE + KE (without friction).
This calculator runs in your browser — your working stays private.
Frequently Asked Questions
- PE = mgh — potential energy equals mass times the acceleration due to gravity times height. Rearranged, m = PE / (gh) and h = PE / (mg). The calculator uses g = 9.81 m/s² and solves for whichever value you leave blank, showing the answer in joules.
- SI units: joules (J) for energy, kilograms (kg) for mass, metres (m) for height. You may enter other units (kJ, cal, g, lb, ft); the tool converts to SI and shows the result in SI with a dimmed US/imperial readout below. The joule is the same unit of energy used for every form of energy.
- The calculator uses g = 9.81 m/s², the usual value at the Earth's surface. Some syllabuses round it to 9.8 or 10 m/s², so your answer may differ slightly — check the value your syllabus prescribes.
- Because potential energy is measured relative to a reference level you choose. You can set the floor, a table or sea level as zero; what matters is how high the object is raised from that point.
- As an object falls, its gravitational potential energy converts into kinetic energy. Without friction, the sum of PE and KE stays constant — the principle of conservation of mechanical energy.
- The physics — PE = mgh in SI units — is identical worldwide. What changes is the terminology; "potential energy" is 重力势能 in Chinese, while SPM students see the Malay term. The calculated value is the same.
- The Tool Information block lists the exact syllabus for your selected curriculum (e.g. SPM Fizik 4531). It is a study aid, not a substitute for your official syllabus or teacher.
- No. Every calculation runs in your browser; nothing you type is uploaded. It works offline once the page has loaded.
- Completely free, no account or usage limit. It runs entirely in your browser and collects no data.
Related News
You may be interested in these recent stories from our newsroom.
No related news yet for this tool. Our editorial team publishes new pieces every week.
Browse all news →75 more free tools
Calculators, converters, security tools — no signup.