Question: In a gravitational field, the potential energy of an object is maximum at which point?
Options:
At the surface of the Earth
At infinity
At the center of the Earth
At the highest point in the field
Correct Answer: At infinity
Solution:
The gravitational potential energy is considered maximum at infinity, where it is defined to be zero.
In a gravitational field, the potential energy of an object is maximum at which
Practice Questions
Q1
In a gravitational field, the potential energy of an object is maximum at which point?
At the surface of the Earth
At infinity
At the center of the Earth
At the highest point in the field
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
In a gravitational field, the potential energy of an object is maximum at which point?
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: Know that gravitational potential energy increases as you move away from a massive object, like a planet.
Step 3: Recognize that at a very far distance (infinity) from the massive object, the gravitational pull is almost zero.
Step 4: Remember that at infinity, we define the gravitational potential energy to be zero.
Step 5: Conclude that since potential energy increases as you move away from the mass, it is considered maximum at infinity.
Gravitational Potential Energy – The energy an object possesses due to its position in a gravitational field, which is highest at an infinite distance from the mass creating the field.
Reference Point for Potential Energy – Gravitational potential energy is often defined relative to a reference point, commonly taken as zero at infinity.
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