Question
Identify: What two factors affect how much gravitational potential energy an object has?
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GPT-4o mini
The two factors that affect how much gravitational potential energy an object has are:
1. **Mass of the Object (m)**: The greater the mass of the object, the more gravitational potential energy it possesses. This is because gravitational potential energy is directly proportional to the mass.
2. **Height above a Reference Point (h)**: The higher the object is positioned above a reference point, the more gravitational potential energy it has. This is because gravitational potential energy increases with height.
The formula for gravitational potential energy (GPE) can be expressed as:
\[ \text{GPE} = m \cdot g \cdot h \]
where \( g \) is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.81 m/s² on the surface of the Earth).
1. **Mass of the Object (m)**: The greater the mass of the object, the more gravitational potential energy it possesses. This is because gravitational potential energy is directly proportional to the mass.
2. **Height above a Reference Point (h)**: The higher the object is positioned above a reference point, the more gravitational potential energy it has. This is because gravitational potential energy increases with height.
The formula for gravitational potential energy (GPE) can be expressed as:
\[ \text{GPE} = m \cdot g \cdot h \]
where \( g \) is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.81 m/s² on the surface of the Earth).