What is gravitational potential energy?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To start, let's break down what gravitational potential energy (GPE) means in simple terms. This helps evaluate each choice by focusing on the defining feature of GPE.

Option a: 'Energy of an object due to its motion on a frictionless surface.' This describes kinetic energy, not gravitational potential energy. Kinetic energy depends on speed, not height, so this is incorrect for GPE.

Option b: 'Energy of an object due to its height from a reference point.' This matches the core definition of gravitational potential energy: it depends on how high the object is (and the gravitational field strength) relative to some reference point. This is the correct description of GPE.

Option c: 'Energy of an object due to its large speed.' Again, this is describing kinetic energy, which arises from motion (speed) rather than height in a gravitational field. Therefore, this is not GPE.

Option d: 'Energy of an object due to its mass and size.' While mass is a factor in gravitational potential energy, the phrase is vague and could apply to many forms of energy. GPE specifically ties energy to height in a gravitational field, not to size, so this is not an accurate characterization of GPE.

In summary, we identify the defining aspect of gravitational potential energy as its dependence on height relative to a reference point, which aligns with option b. The other options misattribute GPE to motion (kinetic energy) or to factors unrelated to height in a gravitational field, leading to incorrect interpretations.

UCIC 202503 PHYS101 Quiz 3

What is gravitational potential energy?

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