Question

What two things does gravitational potential energy depend on?

Answer 1

The energy that an object has because of its location in a gravitational field is known as gravitational potential energy. The most popular use of gravitational potential energy is for an object near the Earth's surface with a steady gravitational acceleration of $9.8\,m/{s^2}$.

Complete step by step answer:
The work performed against gravity to carry a mass to a given point in space is the general term for gravitational potential energy, which is derived from the law of gravity. Since the gravity force is inverse square for long distances, it makes sense to select an infinite distance away as the zero of gravitational potential energy.

Because gravity does positive work as the mass approaches, the gravitational potential energy near a planet is negative. This negative potential indicates a "bound state," in which a mass becomes trapped when it comes close to a large body and must wait for something to provide enough energy to free it. The general expression is given as,
$U = - \dfrac{(GMm)}{r}$
$G$ is the gravitational constant, $M$ is the attracting body's mass, and $r$ is the separation between their centres.
Now, we can clearly observe that the gravitational potential energy depends on two factor –
-$U$ is directly proportional to the mass of the body.
-$U$ is inversely proportional to the distance between the two objects of interest.

Note: Since the universal gravitational constant is well constant, it has no effect on it. However, in another universe, it may have a different meaning. This is the most popular representation of gravitational potential energy for measuring escape velocity from the earth's gravity.