what is gravitational potential energy

Gravitationalpotential energyisenergyan object possesses because of its position in a gravitational field. The most common use of gravitational potential energy is for an object near the surface of the Earth where the gravitational acceleration can be assumed to be constant at about 9.8 m/s2. Since thezero of gravitational potential energycan be chosen at any point (like the choice of the zero of a coordinate system), the potential energy at a height h above that point is equal to the work which would be required to lift the object to that height with no net change inkinetic energy. Since the force required to lift it is equal to itsweight, it follows that the gravitational potential energy is equal to its weight times the height to which it is lifted.

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Apoorva Arora

IIT Roorkee

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