This exam focus covers Exam Focus within Gravitational Potential Energy for GCSE Physics. Revise Gravitational Potential Energy in Energy for GCSE Physics with 15 exam-style questions and 6 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 14 of 16 in this topic. Treat this as a marking guide for what examiners are looking for, not just a fact list.
Topic position
Section 14 of 16
Practice
15 questions
Recall
6 flashcards
🎯 Exam Focus
Exam Favourite
GPE questions regularly appear in combination with kinetic energy (conservation of energy problems). You must be able to:
- Calculate GPE using E_p = mgh
- Use GPE = KE to find speed after falling or height reached after being launched
- Explain why a roller coaster speeds up as it descends (GPE → KE)
- Compare GPE on Earth vs on the Moon/Mars for the same object and height
Multi-step questions are common: given the height and mass, find the speed at the bottom. Remember: calculate GPE first, set equal to KE, then solve for v with a square root.