what is gravitational potential energy and what is kinetic energy?
Gravitational potential energy is the energy possessed by an object due to its position relative to other objects in a gravitational field. It depends on the object's mass, height, and the strength of the gravitational field. The formula to calculate gravitational potential energy is:
Gravitational Potential Energy (PE) = mass (m) x acceleration due to gravity (g) x height (h)
On the other hand, kinetic energy is the energy possessed by an object due to its motion. It depends on the mass and velocity of the object. The formula to calculate kinetic energy is:
Kinetic Energy (KE) = 0.5 x mass (m) x velocity squared (v^2)
To get the gravitational potential energy of an object, you need to know its mass, height, and the value of acceleration due to gravity (which is approximately 9.8 m/s^2 on Earth). Once you have these values, you can calculate the gravitational potential energy using the formula mentioned earlier.
To find the kinetic energy of an object, you need to know its mass and velocity. The velocity needs to be squared in the formula, so it's important to square the value before multiplying it by the other factors.