problem with potential energy & gravity.............?

Question

A body which is under the direct influence of gravity has potential energy. if the body starts moving vertically upwards (crossing even the escape velocity), it loses potential energy which is converted into kinetic energy. IF EARTH IS SAID TO MOVE VERTICALLY DOWNWARDS, TAKING THE OBJECT AS FRAME OF REFERENCE, WHERE DOES THE POTENTIAL ENERGY OF THE BODY GO????????

Answer 1

you seem to be making an incorrect assumption about gravity - earth is in orbit not free falling in a gravitational field - it is continuously converting the potential energy ( solar gravity ) into kinetic energy ( orbital motion ) - it is a bit more complicated than that but that should explain your missing energy conversion **** note that the potential energy you mentioned only applies to a body at rest in a gravitational field not the earth or a falling object and an object moving opposite the field is under the influence of another energy source ( causing acceleration away from the source )

Answer 2

I think you're stuck partway between Newton and Einstein. In Newtonian mechanics, you can't consistently switch to the frame of reference of the moving body, because it is accelerated with respect to the fixed coordinate frame of absolute space. The Newtonian situation is as described by campbelp2002.

In Einsteinian relativity, the object is freely-falling and therefore in an inertial frame. This is a perfectly resonable frame of reference in which to do the physics. You can solve the equations of general relativity in a frame in which the object is at rest in the center. But that spacetime is dynamic, and even though the object is at rest in your coordinate system, the now-moving Earth causes the curvature of space to vary with time under that fixed point. So the field strength, curvature, and its "potential" with respect to the gravitational field far away will vary with time.

Answer 3

The potential energy is relative. If a ball 6 feet above ground has a PE with respect to the ground( earth). SO when the earth moves and it takes the ball with it so the PE remains the same.

When a ball moves upwards the PE is increased and one has to apply necessary force to increase its PE and KE.

I hope this clears. Read more books. The question itself vague and wrong assumptions.

Answer 4

You got it backwards. As the object moves up, it gains (not loses) potential energy. As it rises up, it slows as kinetic energy is converted to potential energy. The flip side is that it loses potential energy as it falls. As it falls, it speeds up as potential energy is converted to kinetic energy.