Which of the following statements about gravitational potential energy (U) is tr
Practice Questions
Q1
Which of the following statements about gravitational potential energy (U) is true?
U increases as two masses move closer together
U decreases as two masses move closer together
U is always positive
U is independent of distance
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
Which of the following statements about gravitational potential energy (U) is true?
Step 1: Understand what gravitational potential energy (U) is. It is the energy an object has due to its position in a gravitational field.
Step 2: Know the formula for gravitational potential energy: U = -G * (m1 * m2) / r, where G is the gravitational constant, m1 and m2 are the masses, and r is the distance between the centers of the two masses.
Step 3: Recognize that as the distance (r) between the two masses decreases, the value of U becomes less negative (or increases).
Step 4: Conclude that gravitational potential energy decreases (becomes more negative) as the two masses move closer together.
