Two objects have masses of #17 MG# and #22 MG#. How much does the gravitational potential energy between the objects change if the distance between them changes from #55 m# to #32 m#?
1 Answer
It is increased by 72%
Explanation:
The gravitational potential energy is
where G
Hence, when the distance between shrinks, the gravitation energy becomes stronger (or more negative).
Let
You calculate the potential energies above explicitly if you wish by substituting G with the numerical value given above, and then find their difference.
Or you can compare the final to the initial potential energy to get
:
Then
That is, the potential has become 1.72x stronger than before.
The change is:
The percentage change is:
Thus the potential energy is 72% stronger then before.