Question

Increasing the mass of an object
its potential energy. Gravitational energy and mass have a relationship that is
.

Answer 1

Increasing the mass of an object increases its potential energy in a gravitational field. The relationship between gravitational potential energy (PE) and mass (m) can be expressed by the formula:

\[ PE = mgh \]

where:
- \( PE \) is the gravitational potential energy,
- \( m \) is the mass of the object,
- \( g \) is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately \( 9.81 \, \text{m/s}^2 \) on the surface of the Earth),
- \( h \) is the height above a reference point.

From this formula, you can see that gravitational potential energy is directly proportional to the mass of the object. Therefore, as the mass increases, the gravitational potential energy also increases, assuming the height (\( h \)) and the local acceleration due to gravity (\( g \)) remain constant.