GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL

ENERGY
Analyn S. Garcia
Learning Objectives:
During this activity, students should be able to:
1. Apply the concept of gravitational potential energy in
physics problem.
2. Understand the other equations for gravitational
potential energy which is used in determining the
gravitational potential energy of the two objects in
space.
3. Solve problems involving universal gravitational
potential energy.
 GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL
ENERGY
 The gravitational potential energy
(GPE) of an object of mass in a
gravitational field is the energy
stored as a result of the object's
location in the field.
 GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL
ENERGY
 This is the gravitational potential energy of the system
consisting of the two objects interacting gravitationally.
 Increasing height = increasing potential energy
 Decreasing height = decreasing potential energy
 Potential energy is zero at infinity above the Earth
 Its universal gravitational potential energy will always
be negative.
In scientific literature, how to calculate gravitational
potential energy is mathematically described by two
main formulas: a formula regarding two objects in
space, and a formula for an object positioned above
Earth's surface.
𝑴𝒎
𝑷𝑬 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒗 =− 𝑮 𝑷𝑬 =𝒎𝒈𝒉
𝒓 𝒈
If the field is due to a uniform spherical mass
M, and the particle is outside M at a distance
from the center of M, then the particle’s
gravitational potential energy is:
Where:
= Universal gravitational potential energy (Nm or J)
= Universal gravitational constant (6.67 × 10 -11 Nm2/kg 2)
= mass of the body attracting to another m (kg)
= mass of the body attracting to (kg)
= Distance between their center (m)
The potential energy of two bodies is the
work done by some external force in
bringing the bodies from infinitely far
apart to where they are now.
 rf

ri
Why is it always considered negative?
We place the zero point of gravitational potential
energy at a distance r of infinity. This makes all values of
the gravitational potential energy negative. It turns out
that it makes sense to do this because as the distance r
becomes large, the gravitational force tends rapidly
towards zero.
 Evaluation
1. An astronaut is outside performing a
spacewalk near the International Space Station.
With her spacesuit and all equipment, she has a
mass of 200 kg. The space station has a mass of
419,600 kg. What is the gravitational potential
energy when she is 10.0 m from the center of
mass of the space station?
 Solution
Given:
M1 = 200 kg
m2 = 419,600 kg
G = 6.67 × 10−11 N m2/kg2
r = 10.0 m
𝑈𝗀𝗋𝖺𝗏 = ?
 Evaluation
2. The distance between earth and
moon is 3.8 x10^8 m. Determine the
gravitational potential energy of earth-
moon system. Given, mass of earth=
6x10^24 kg, mass of moon=7.4x10^22 kg
and G=6.67x10^-11 N m^2/kg^2
Solution
 Evaluation
3. If the earth’s mass is 3.24 × 10 kg
20

and the sun’s mass is 2.4 × 10 kg,

25

and the earth is 120 × 10 m away

9

from the sun, calculate the earth’s

gravitational potential energy.
 Solution
Given:
MEarth = 3.24 × 1020 kg
msun = 2.4 × 1025 kg kjjjhyg
G = 6.67 × 10−11 N m2/kg2
r = 120 × 109 m
𝑈𝗀𝗋𝖺𝗏 = ?
 Evaluation
4. A rocket happens to have a gravitational
potential energy of -3.437x1013 J and a
mass of 549,054 kg when it is sitting at the
surface of the earth. The earth’s mass is
5.98x10 24 kg. Calculate the distance from
the center of the earth to the rocket.
Solution
Given:
mr = 549,054 kg =
G = 6.67 × 10−11 N m2/kg2
r = 637m
𝑈𝗀𝗋𝖺𝗏 = - 3.437 × 10−11 Nm
me= ?
Nm2

N m2/kg2 • kg

kg
kg
 Evaluation
5. There are two asteroids in the space who
have a gravitational potential energy of
– 5.0025x10-3 Nm. Those two asteroids
contains a mass of 300,00 kg and 250,000
kg. Try to calculate how many meters they
are apart from each other.
Solution
 Generalization
A gravitational potential energy (GPE) near a
planet is then negative since gravity does
positive work as the mass approaches. The
further you get from an object, the higher
your GPE relative to it. Thus, when you are
infinitely away, you have as high a GPE
relative to it as possible.
We choose to make the value of GPE of all bodies
at infinitely zero. Then since this is the highest
value of GPE, all real values of GPE closer than
infinity must be negative. Therefore, the minus
sign in the equation is NOT optional. It must
always be included and all values of potential
energy in a gravitational potential energy are
negative.
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