Gravitational potential energy is the energy possessed or acquired by an object due to a change in its position when it is present in a gravitational field. In simple terms, it can be said that gravitational potential energy is an energy that is related to gravitational force or to gravity.
Gravitational energy is the potential energy associated with gravitational force, such as elevating objects against the Earth’s gravity.
Gravitational energy is the potential energy associated with gravitational force, as work is required to elevate objects against Earth’s gravity.
The potential energy due to elevated positions is called gravitational potential energy, and is evidenced by water in an elevated reservoir or kept behind a dam. If an object falls from one point to another point inside a gravitational field, the force of gravity will do positive work on the object, and the gravitational potential energy will decrease by the same amount.
Consider a book placed on top of a table.
As the book is raised from the floor to the table, some external force works against the gravitational force. If the book falls back to the floor, the “falling” energy the book receives is provided by the gravitational force.
Thus, if the book falls off the table, this potential energy goes to accelerate the mass of the book and is converted into kinetic energy.
When the book hits the floor, this kinetic energy is converted into heat and sound by the impact.
The factors that affect an object’s gravitational potential energy are its height relative to some reference point, its mass, and the strength of the gravitational field it is in.
Thus, a book lying on a table has less gravitational potential energy than the same book on top of a taller cupboard, and less gravitational potential energy than a heavier book lying on the same table.
An object at a certain height above the Moon’s surface has less gravitational potential energy than at the same height above the Earth’s surface because the Moon’s gravity is weaker.
Note that “height” in the common sense of the term cannot be used for gravitational potential energy calculations when gravity is not assumed to be a constant.
The most common use of gravitational potential energy is for an object near the surface of the Earth where the gravitational acceleration is a constant at about 9.8 m/s².
Gravitational potential energy helps us to understand the motion of planets. When scientists send spacecraft to other planets, they can precisely calculate how much energy is needed to fuel them.
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Explanation:
Gravitational potential energy is the energy possessed or acquired by an object due to a change in its position when it is present in a gravitational field. In simple terms, it can be said that gravitational potential energy is an energy that is related to gravitational force or to gravity.
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Gravitational Potential Energy
Gravitational energy is the potential energy associated with gravitational force, such as elevating objects against the Earth’s gravity.
Gravitational energy is the potential energy associated with gravitational force, as work is required to elevate objects against Earth’s gravity.
The potential energy due to elevated positions is called gravitational potential energy, and is evidenced by water in an elevated reservoir or kept behind a dam. If an object falls from one point to another point inside a gravitational field, the force of gravity will do positive work on the object, and the gravitational potential energy will decrease by the same amount.
Consider a book placed on top of a table.
As the book is raised from the floor to the table, some external force works against the gravitational force. If the book falls back to the floor, the “falling” energy the book receives is provided by the gravitational force.
Thus, if the book falls off the table, this potential energy goes to accelerate the mass of the book and is converted into kinetic energy.
When the book hits the floor, this kinetic energy is converted into heat and sound by the impact.
The factors that affect an object’s gravitational potential energy are its height relative to some reference point, its mass, and the strength of the gravitational field it is in.
Thus, a book lying on a table has less gravitational potential energy than the same book on top of a taller cupboard, and less gravitational potential energy than a heavier book lying on the same table.
An object at a certain height above the Moon’s surface has less gravitational potential energy than at the same height above the Earth’s surface because the Moon’s gravity is weaker.
Note that “height” in the common sense of the term cannot be used for gravitational potential energy calculations when gravity is not assumed to be a constant.
The most common use of gravitational potential energy is for an object near the surface of the Earth where the gravitational acceleration is a constant at about 9.8 m/s².
Gravitational potential energy helps us to understand the motion of planets. When scientists send spacecraft to other planets, they can precisely calculate how much energy is needed to fuel them.