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    zubair rockstar's Avatar
    zubair rockstar Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
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    #1

    Nov 29, 2009, 12:36 PM
    What is gravitional potential energy
    What is gravitational potential energy? Why it varies inversely with the negative square of the distance
    harum's Avatar
    harum Posts: 339, Reputation: 27
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    #2

    Nov 30, 2009, 03:24 PM

    Why do you think it's a negative square of the distance? I guess any beginner textbook will answer your question. Copy/paste your question into a Google search tool and see the answer.
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    ebaines Posts: 12,131, Reputation: 1307
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    #3

    Nov 30, 2009, 03:49 PM

    Actually, it varies as the negative inverse of the distance, not the inverse square of the distance.

    Are you asking why is it's negative? It has to do with how the formula is obtained - by integrating the force of gravity over the distance the object rises:



    What's important is that the change in PE is positive as the object rises (i.e. for )..
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