I was having a few problems with Negative gravitational potential energy, I wasn't able to put my finger on why because it worked so well with everything else I had learned.
I tried to say it made sense because in space you don't free fall, but that's not actually true, though the gravitational energy is smaller you still accelerate (just very slightly) towards a planetary body.
If Ugrav is your store of potential KE, how can it be negative even in cases when you are accelerating towards a planetary body? This question has realy slowed my studying down, help would be greatly appreciated.
I tried to say it made sense because in space you don't free fall, but that's not actually true, though the gravitational energy is smaller you still accelerate (just very slightly) towards a planetary body.
If Ugrav is your store of potential KE, how can it be negative even in cases when you are accelerating towards a planetary body? This question has realy slowed my studying down, help would be greatly appreciated.