Final answer:
In the equation EP = mgh, EP stands for the gravitational potential energy, which is the energy possessed by an object due to its position in a gravitational field and is calculated as the product of its mass, gravitational acceleration, and height above a reference point.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the equation EP = mgh, 'EP' represents the gravitational potential energy (GPE) of an object. Here, 'm' is the mass of the object in kilograms (kg), 'g' is the gravitational acceleration, which is approximately 9.8 meters per second squared (m/s²) but often rounded to 10 m/s² for simplicity, and 'h' is the perpendicular height in meters (m) from the reference point. Since the gravitational potential energy depends on the object's elevation in a gravitational field, it is calculated by the product of these three factors, resulting in an energy value expressed in Joules (J).
This energy represents the potential for the object to do work due to its position above the ground. When the height of an object changes, there is a corresponding change in its gravitational potential energy, which can be expressed as ΔPEg = mgh, where Δh is the change in height. It is important to note that only changes in gravitational potential energy have physical significance.