What determines an object's potential energy?

Question

a
mass and speed
b
mass and position
c
weight and position
d
weight and speed

Answer 1

The correct answer is b) mass and position.

Potential energy is primarily determined by the mass of the object and its position relative to a reference point, such as height in a gravitational field. For example, gravitational potential energy is calculated using the formula \( PE = mgh \), where \( m \) is mass, \( g \) is the acceleration due to gravity, and \( h \) is the height above a reference point.