5. Circular Motion and Gravitation

Gravitational Potential Energy — Quiz

Test your understanding of gravitational potential energy with 5 practice questions.

Practice Questions

Question 1

Which of the following is the correct expression for gravitational potential energy between two masses $m_1$ and $m_2$ separated by a distance $r$?

Question 2

Two masses, $m_1 = 5 \, \text{kg}$ and $m_2 = 10 \, \text{kg}$, are $4 \, \text{m}$ apart. If $G = 6.674 \times 10^{-11} \, \text{N} \cdot \text{m}^2/\text{kg}^2$, what is their gravitational potential energy?

Question 3

If the separation between two masses is tripled, how does the gravitational potential energy change (masses remain constant)?

Question 4

An object of $4 \, \text{kg}$ is placed at a height of $50 \, \text{m}$ on Earth. What is its gravitational potential energy relative to the ground? Use $g = 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2$.

Question 5

A satellite of mass $200 \, \text{kg}$ orbits Earth at a distance of $7 \times 10^6 \, \text{m}$ from Earth’s center. If Earth’s mass is $5.97 \times 10^{24} \, \text{kg}$ and $G = 6.674 \times 10^{-11} \, \text{N} \cdot \text{m}^2/\text{kg}^2$, what is the gravitational potential energy of the satellite-Earth system?