Tool 517 · Conservative energy & reference-aware physics
Potential Energy Calculator
Go beyond mgh: solve near-surface gravitational energy, general Newtonian gravity and orbital quantities, elastic spring energy, or electric potential energy — with reference conventions made explicit.
Reference-awareDistinguishes arbitrary near-surface zero from U = 0 at infinity.
General gravityAbsolute U, ΔU, escape speed, orbital speed and local g.
Elastic energySpring U, ΔU, spring force and work done by the spring.
Electric PESigned point-charge energy, potential, force and separation changes.
Solve U = mgh for any one variable
This is the constant-g approximation relative to your chosen height reference. Height may be signed.
Near-surface gravitational potential energy
U = mgh is best for height changes small enough that g can be treated as constant. The zero of U in this mode is whatever height you define as h = 0.
Central-body gravitational field
General gravity uses U = −GMm/r with U = 0 at infinite separation. Here r = R + altitude. Preset body masses/radii are rounded practical values; custom values are fully editable.
Ideal Hooke-law spring potential
Elastic potential depends on x², so solving from energy determines the magnitude |x|; both +x and −x store the same ideal spring energy.
Two point charges in vacuum
Uses U = kₑq₁q₂/r with U = 0 at infinite separation. Positive U means like charges; negative U means opposite charges. Point-charge/vacuum model only.