Gravitational potential energy
What Gravitational potential energy means in Physics A-Level, as defined for AQA, OCR.
Definitions of Gravitational potential energy
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Reference: OCR
The product of the mass and the gravitational potential at that point, given by E = mV = −GMm/r at a distance r from a point mass M.
The energy an object possesses due to its position in a gravitational field, measured in the joule (J).
At the surface the body has gravitational potential energy −GMm/r, which is negative.
Topics that use Gravitational potential energy
- Orbits of planets and satellites (A-level only) (AQA A-Level)
- Gravitational potential and energy (OCR A-Level)
- Kinetic and potential energies (OCR A-Level)
Related terms
- Escape velocity
- Energy condition for escape
- Ep = mgh
- Geostationary orbit
- Gravitational field strength
- Gravitational force as centripetal force
- Gravitational potential
- Inverse-distance dependence
Using Gravitational potential energy in the exam
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