Gravitational Potential Energy

Gravitational Potential Energy

An object at height $h$ above a reference level has gravitational potential energy:

$PE = mgh$

• $m$ — mass in kg
• $g$ — 9.81 m/s² (gravitational acceleration)
• $h$ — height above reference level in metres

Conservation of Energy

In the absence of friction, mechanical energy is conserved:

$KE + PE = \text{constant}$

$\frac{1}{2}mv^2 + mgh = \text{constant}$

This means PE converts to KE as an object falls, and vice versa as it rises. A ball dropped from height $h$ reaches the ground with speed:

$v = \sqrt{2gh}$

Examples

Your Task

Implement gravPE(m, h) returning gravitational potential energy in Joules.