The gravitational potential energy of an object is given by which formula?
Practice Questions
Q1
The gravitational potential energy of an object is given by which formula?
U = mgh
U = -GMm/r
U = 1/2 mv^2
U = Fd
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
The gravitational potential energy of an object is given by which formula?
Step 1: Understand that gravitational potential energy is the energy an object has due to its position in a gravitational field.
Step 2: Identify the variables in the formula: G is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of the larger object (like a planet), m is the mass of the smaller object, and r is the distance between the centers of the two objects.
Step 3: Recognize that the formula for gravitational potential energy is U = -GMm/r.
Step 4: Note that the negative sign indicates that gravitational potential energy decreases as the distance r decreases.
