Specific energy is defined as the total energy per unit mass of an aircraft. The specific energy of an aircraft is determined by the combination of potential energy associated with its altitude and kinetic energy associated with its velocity. The formula for determining specific energy is as follows:
Where:
- is the specific energy (joules per kilogram).
- is the altitude of the aircraft, measured in meters.
- is the velocity of the aircraft, measured in meters per second.
- is the acceleration due to gravity, measured in meters per second squared.