Lucy picks up an object from the floor. How will the potential energy change if Lucy lifts the object above her head?

A). The object's potential energy will decrease.

B). The object's potential energy will be zero.

C). The object's potential energy will increase.

D). The object's potential energy will stay the same.

1 answer

C). The object's potential energy will increase.

When Lucy lifts the object above her head, she is raising it against the force of gravity, which increases its height. The potential energy of an object is given by the formula \( PE = mgh \) (where \( m \) is mass, \( g \) is the acceleration due to gravity, and \( h \) is height). As the height \( h \) increases, the potential energy also increases.