What is the effect of increasing the height of an object within a gravitational field on its potential energy?

Increasing the height of an object within a gravitational field directly impacts its potential energy due to the relationship defined by the equation for gravitational potential energy, given as ( PE = mgh ). In this equation, ( PE ) denotes potential energy, ( m ) represents the mass of the object, ( g ) symbolizes the acceleration due to gravity, and ( h ) is the height above a reference point.

As height increases, the value of ( h ) becomes larger, which leads to an increase in potential energy. Since the mass and the gravitational acceleration are constant for a given situation, raising the height results in a corresponding increase in potential energy. Therefore, the correct conclusion is that the potential energy increases as the height of the object increases within a gravitational field.