Define potential energy. Derive an expression for the gravitational potential energy of a body of mass ‘m’ raised to a height ‘h’ above the ground.
Energy possessed by a body by virtue of its position is called potential energy.
Derivation:
Let us consider a body of mass m raised from the ground to the height h, the amount of work done against gravity is
W = F x h
But, F = mg, the weight of the body.
So, W = mgh