- #1
member 392791
So I was looking at the equation for Gravitation potential energy
U = - Gm1m2/r
This implies the energy is 0 as r→∞
However, if I lift a book above my head, wouldn't it have more potential energy than if it was lying on the ground, meaning as r (h) increases, potential energy increases? Where is my misconception here?
PE = mgh
Wikipedia: ''The factors that affect an object's gravitational potential energy are its height relative to some reference point, its mass, and the strength of the gravitational field it is in. Thus, a book lying on a table has less gravitational potential energy than the same book on top of a taller cupboard, and less gravitational potential energy than a heavier book lying on the same table. An object at a certain height above the Moon's surface has less gravitational potential energy than at the same height above the Earth's surface because the Moon's gravity is weaker. Note that "height" in the common sense of the term cannot be used for gravitational potential energy calculations when gravity is not assumed to be a constant. The following sections provide more detail.''
U = - Gm1m2/r
This implies the energy is 0 as r→∞
However, if I lift a book above my head, wouldn't it have more potential energy than if it was lying on the ground, meaning as r (h) increases, potential energy increases? Where is my misconception here?
PE = mgh
Wikipedia: ''The factors that affect an object's gravitational potential energy are its height relative to some reference point, its mass, and the strength of the gravitational field it is in. Thus, a book lying on a table has less gravitational potential energy than the same book on top of a taller cupboard, and less gravitational potential energy than a heavier book lying on the same table. An object at a certain height above the Moon's surface has less gravitational potential energy than at the same height above the Earth's surface because the Moon's gravity is weaker. Note that "height" in the common sense of the term cannot be used for gravitational potential energy calculations when gravity is not assumed to be a constant. The following sections provide more detail.''