A stone is held at a height h above the ground.A second stone with four times the mass of the first one is held at the same height.The gravitational potential energy of the second stone-Earth system compared to that of the first stone-Earth system is
A)one-fourth as much.
B)one-half as much.
C)twice as much.
D)four times as much.
E)the same.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The gravitational potential energy (U) is given by U = mgh, where m is the mass, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is the height above the ground. Since the second stone has four times the mass of the first stone and both are at the same height, the gravitational potential energy of the second stone-Earth system is four times as much as that of the first stone-Earth system.

A Stone Is Held at a Height H Above the Ground.A