Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
Gravitational potential energy is the energy possessed by an object due to its position in a gravitational field. It depends on the height of the object and its mass.
This principle states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred or transformed from one form to another.
Gravitational Field Strength (g): Gravitational field strength represents how strong gravity is in a particular location. It determines how much gravitational potential energy an object will have at different heights.
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