Potential energy is energy that is stored in an object. An example is gravitational potential energy such as that of a roller coaster train at the peak of its lift hill.[1]
The formula for gravitational potential energy for two point masses is:
where
- is Newton's gravitational constant
- and are the masses of the two particles
- is their separation
If one particle moves a radial distance (towards or away) from the other a distance and , then the change in potential can be approximated by
where is the gravitational field strength in the vicinity of the initial and final points.
See also
References
- ↑ Wile, Jay L. Exploring Creation With Chemistry. Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. 1998