Gravity & Energy Related to Position

Every time an object gets lifted, dropped, or perched somewhere high, it's storing or releasing energy tied to gravity. In this unit you'll figure out what makes that stored energy grow or shrink, how gravity itself works between any two objects in the universe, and what happens as that stored energy turns into motion.

The big idea driving this unit

Gravity pulls any two masses together, more strongly when they have more mass or are closer. That pull lets a lifted object store energy based on its mass and height, energy that turns into motion as it falls without ever disappearing.

Chapters in this unit

1 Gravitational Potential EnergyWhat decides how much energy a roller coaster cart stores while it sits at the top of a 200-foot hill?MS-PS3-2
2 Universal Law of GravityIf any two objects with mass pull on each other, why does Earth's gravity noticeably affect you while two backpacks on a desk never visibly attract?MS-PS2-4MS-PS2-5MS-ESS1-2
3 Gravitational Potential Energy to Kinetic EnergyThe instant a roller coaster cart tips over the top of the first hill and starts speeding downward, where does all that stored energy actually go?MS-PS3-1MS-PS3-2MS-PS3-5

Table of Contents

Gravity & Energy Related to Position

Chapters in this unit