Correct Answer - Option 1 : increase
CONCEPT:
-
Gravitational Potential Energy: The energy of an object due to its position in a gravitational field.
\(U=-\frac{Gm_1m_2}{r} \)
where U is the potential energy, m1 is the mass first object, m2 is the mass of the second object, r is the distance between the earth and the object, and G is the gravitational constant.
- Potential energy at infinity (r = ∞) is zero (U = 0).
EXPLANATION:
Gravitational potential energy is given by
\(U=-\frac{Gm_1m_2}{r} \)
If the distance between the objects r increases, \(\frac{1}{r} \) will decrease.
If \(\frac{1}{r} \) decreases, \(\frac{Gm_1m_2}{r} \) will also decrease.
If \(\frac{Gm_1m_2}{r} \) decrease, \(U=-\frac{Gm_1m_2}{r} \) will increase due to -ve sign.
- So as the distance between two objects increases, their gravitational potential energy will increase.
- Hence the correct answer is option 1.
