How is gravitational potential energy calculated?

Gravitational potential energy is calculated using the formula that incorporates mass, the acceleration due to gravity, and height. The formula is given by the equation:

Gravitational Potential Energy (PE) = mass (m) × gravitational acceleration (g) × height (h)

In this context, mass represents the amount of matter in an object, gravitational acceleration is approximately 9.81 m/s² near the Earth's surface, and height is the vertical distance from a reference point (usually the ground) to the object's position.

This formula is derived from the work done against the force of gravity when an object is lifted to a certain height. The higher an object is raised, or the more mass it has, the greater its potential energy becomes. Understanding this relationship is fundamental in physics, particularly in mechanics, as it reflects how energy is stored in an object based on its position relative to the Earth.

The other options do not accurately represent the concept of gravitational potential energy. For example, simply multiplying mass by height ignores the crucial factor of gravitational acceleration, which is necessary to determine the potential energy accurately.