What happens to the gravitational potential energy of a satellite as it moves fu

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Question: What happens to the gravitational potential energy of a satellite as it moves further away from the Earth?

Options:

Correct Answer: It increases

Solution:

As a satellite moves further away from the Earth, its gravitational potential energy increases because it is moving to a higher potential.

What happens to the gravitational potential energy of a satellite as it moves further away from the Earth?

What happens to the gravitational potential energy of a satellite as it moves further away from the Earth?

Step 1: Understand what gravitational potential energy is. It is the energy an object has due to its position in a gravitational field.
Step 2: Recognize that the Earth has a gravitational pull that affects objects near it, like satellites.
Step 3: When a satellite is close to the Earth, it has lower gravitational potential energy.
Step 4: As the satellite moves further away from the Earth, it is in a position where the gravitational pull is weaker.
Step 5: Because the satellite is now at a higher position in the gravitational field, its gravitational potential energy increases.
Step 6: Conclude that moving further away from the Earth means the satellite has more gravitational potential energy.

Gravitational Potential Energy – The energy an object possesses due to its position in a gravitational field, which increases as the object moves further from the source of gravity.
Distance and Potential Energy Relationship – The relationship between the distance from a massive body (like Earth) and the gravitational potential energy, where increasing distance results in higher potential energy.