What is the relationship between gravitational field strength and gravitational potential?

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Q: What is the relationship between gravitational field strength and gravitational potential?

Solution: Gravitational field strength is the negative gradient of gravitational potential.

Steps: 5

Step 1: Understand that gravitational potential is a measure of the potential energy per unit mass at a point in a gravitational field.
Step 2: Recognize that gravitational field strength is the force experienced by a unit mass placed in the gravitational field.
Step 3: Learn that the gravitational field strength tells us how strong the gravitational pull is at a specific location.
Step 4: Know that the gradient refers to how much a quantity changes over a distance. In this case, it means how gravitational potential changes as you move through the gravitational field.
Step 5: Realize that the negative gradient means that as you move to a point of lower gravitational potential (where potential energy decreases), the gravitational field strength increases.