Apart from the height above ground, the other main quantity that affects how much gravitational potential energy an object on Earth has stored is the mass of the object. Additionally, the strength of the gravitational field (gravitational acceleration) at the location also affects the gravitational potential energy. Gravitational potential energy (U) is given by the formula:
U=mghU=mghU=mgh
where mmm is the mass of the object, ggg is the acceleration due to gravity, and hhh is the height above a reference point. This means gravitational potential energy increases with greater mass and a stronger gravitational field, as well as greater height. Thus, the factors are:
- Mass of the object
- Gravitational field strength (acceleration due to gravity)
- Height above the reference point
These three determine how much gravitational potential energy is stored by an object on Earth.
