Gravitational potential energy is?

Gravitational potential energy is?

• A. Energy due to motion
• B. Energy stored due to deformation
• C. Energy that an object possesses due to its position in a gravitational field
• D. Thermal energy due to random motion

Answer: (C)

Gravitational potential energy is the energy an object has because of its position in a gravitational field. When you lift an object, you do work against gravity, and that energy is stored as gravitational potential energy. Near Earth’s surface, you can think of it as U ≈ m g h, where h is how high the object is relative to a chosen zero level; the exact zero is arbitrary, but changes in height matter. This energy can be converted to kinetic energy if the object falls, and vice versa. The other options describe different forms of energy: energy due to motion is kinetic energy; energy stored due to deformation is elastic potential energy; energy from random microscopic motion is thermal (internal) energy. So the concept being tested is energy stored because of an object's position in a gravitational field.

Gravitational potential energy is the energy an object has because of its position in a gravitational field. When you lift an object, you do work against gravity, and that energy is stored as gravitational potential energy. Near Earth’s surface, you can think of it as U ≈ m g h, where h is how high the object is relative to a chosen zero level; the exact zero is arbitrary, but changes in height matter. This energy can be converted to kinetic energy if the object falls, and vice versa.

The other options describe different forms of energy: energy due to motion is kinetic energy; energy stored due to deformation is elastic potential energy; energy from random microscopic motion is thermal (internal) energy. So the concept being tested is energy stored because of an object's position in a gravitational field.