Lesson: Gravitational Potential Energy

In this lesson, we will learn how to calculate changes in the energy of an object in a gravitational field using the definition of the gravitational potential energy, E = mgh.

Video

13:38

Sample Question Videos

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02:38
01:50

Worksheet: 10 Questions • 4 Videos

Q1:

A bird flying over the sea has a weight of 15 N and has a constant 765 J of gravitational potential energy. How far above the sea does the bird fly?

Q2:

A woman walks along a bridge, holding in her hand a small cell phone with a weight of 0.75 N. The phone is held at a height of 1.2 m above the surface of the bridge. The bridge is 4.3 m above the surface of a river. How much greater is the gravitational potential energy of the phone held in the woman’s hand on the bridge than the gravitational potential energy of the phone at the surface of the river?

Q3:

What is the gravitational potential energy of the speck of dust?

What is the gravitational potential energy of the shard of ice?

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