Question
What is the formula for potential energy?
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The formula for gravitational potential energy (U) is given by:
\[ U = mgh \]
where:
- \( U \) is the potential energy,
- \( m \) is the mass of the object (in kilograms),
- \( g \) is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately \( 9.81 \, \text{m/s}^2 \) near the surface of the Earth), and
- \( h \) is the height of the object above a reference level (in meters).
For other types of potential energy, such as elastic potential energy in a spring, the formula is:
\[ U = \frac{1}{2} k x^2 \]
where:
- \( k \) is the spring constant (in newtons per meter),
- \( x \) is the displacement from the equilibrium position (in meters).
Each type of potential energy has its specific formula depending on the context.
\[ U = mgh \]
where:
- \( U \) is the potential energy,
- \( m \) is the mass of the object (in kilograms),
- \( g \) is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately \( 9.81 \, \text{m/s}^2 \) near the surface of the Earth), and
- \( h \) is the height of the object above a reference level (in meters).
For other types of potential energy, such as elastic potential energy in a spring, the formula is:
\[ U = \frac{1}{2} k x^2 \]
where:
- \( k \) is the spring constant (in newtons per meter),
- \( x \) is the displacement from the equilibrium position (in meters).
Each type of potential energy has its specific formula depending on the context.