Which term describes energy stored due to height above the Earth's surface?

• A. Kinetic Energy
• B. Gravitational Potential Energy
• C. Work
• D. Power

Answer: (B)

Energy stored because of position in a gravitational field is the idea here. When an object sits at a height above the Earth, gravity has the potential to do work on it if it were released, so that energy is stored as gravitational potential energy. Near Earth's surface this energy is well approximated by mgh, meaning it grows with mass, height, and the strength of gravity. This is different from kinetic energy, which is about motion and depends on speed; and from work or power, which describe processes or rates of energy transfer rather than the stored energy itself. So the term that describes energy stored due to height above the Earth's surface is gravitational potential energy.