The relationship between an object’s gravitational potential energy (GPE) and its height above the ground is linear. Gravitational potential energy is calculated using the formula:
\[ GPE = mgh \]
where \( m \) is the mass of the object, \( g \) is the acceleration due to gravity, and \( h \) is the height above the ground. This shows that if height increases, gravitational potential energy also increases proportionally, resulting in a straight line when graphed.
Based on this explanation, the correct graph that represents this relationship would be:
B: a straight line going up diagonal.
This indicates that as height increases, gravitational potential energy increases linearly.
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