Gravitational potential energy is energy obtained by an object due to its position in a gravitational field. The energy is most commonly used for an object near the surface of the Earth where the gravitational acceleration can be assumed to be constant at about 9.8 m/s2. GPE changes into kinetic energy. The gravitational potential energy formula is GPE = mgh, where m is the mass in kilograms, g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 on Earth), and h is the height above the ground in meters. The below given GPE formula depends on the mass and the height to which the object is travelled.