CBSE Class 11-science Answered

The potential energy of a body is due to its higher position above the earth and it is equal to the work done on the body against gravity in moving the body to that position.

W= mgh

where m=mass of the body,g=acceleration due to gravity and h=height of the body.

While Gravitational potential energy (U) is the amount of work done against gravity to take a body away from the earths surface (where h = 0).

U = -GM_e m/r

M_e = mass of earth, m = mass of object, r = distance between the center of earth and the object.